Last-minute Mothers Day: A way to help others

What do moms really want for Mothers' Day? Someone to say that they get how hard -- and how wonderful -- it can be.

"I always thought that Mothers Day was great, but it always felt like something was missing," Julianna W. Miner, who blogs at Rants from Mommyland, told me in an interview. "I wanted someone to see me and tell me that it was enough. That even though I was not doing everything right, that my efforts counted."

Figuring that plenty of women might feel the same way, Miner teamed up with e-card and gift company Naughty Betty to create Mothers Day cards to honor all moms and say what they really want for Mother's Day. The cards are more than just clever -- they also support a good cause: If people share the free e-cards in time for Mothers Day, SweetRelish.com will donate up to $10,000 to Shelter House, a safe haven for homeless families and victims of domestic violence.

As I mentioned on Yahoo! Shine earlier this week, these Mothers' Day cards speak the truth:

Photos by Julianna W. Miner/Naughty Betty

Love these cards -- and the cause they support -- as much as we do? Share them by clicking here and SweetRelish.com will donate up to $10,000 to Shelter House, a safe haven for homeless families and victims of domestic violence.

The latest from Lylah

While I work to update this blog with some of the 250 or so articles (!!!) I've written since the last time I hit "publish" over here, please take a moment to check out my archives on Yahoo.com!

Too busy to comb through the archives? Here are links to a few of the most popular ones from this month:

Fourth Grader's Essay on Marriage Equality Goes Viral, Earns National Praise
 
Who is Katherine Russell, Widow of Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev?
 
What's The Significance of April 19?
 
Boston Marathon Victim Searches for Rescuer -- and Finds Him
 
Acts of Kindness in the Wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings

Kindergarten Boy Suspended for His 'Distracting' Mohawk

Michelle Obama Accidentally Calls Herself a 'Busy Single Mother.' Can You Relate?

Little Red Riding Hood and AR-15s? New Ads Contrast School Bans and Gun Regulations

'Glee' Takes On School Shootings: Too Soon?


And, finally... a word from Kid President:

Barbie Dolls of the World collection: stunning or stereotypical?

Mattel has been offering Barbies dressed in traditional, ethnic outfits since 1980, when it launched its Dolls of the World collection, aimed at kids and adult collectors alike. The first three dolls represented France, England, and Italy, and the line has expanded to include more than 200 different dolls. But the most recent versions, especially ones representing Latin America, are causing controversy online. The 2012 Mexico Barbie is dressed in non-traditional pink, has kind of a princess hairstyle, and carries a chihuahua tucked under her arm; it's being called out by critics for being offensive rather than educational.

If Mattel was looking for authenticity, Mexico Barbie "should have braids woven through with ribbons," Adriana Velez, who describes herself as Mexican-American, writes at Cafe Mom. "She could have a white blouse with colorful embroidery and a woven shawl. Hell, they could have just called up a photo of the most iconic Mexican ever, Frida Kahlo, and copied the look. Instead they gave her some vague pink thing with ruffles."

The interesting thing is, though, that earlier versions of Mexico Barbie looked almost exactly as Velez describes. So what was the reason behind the change?

I called Mattel up to find out, and a representative told me that the company's goal is to introduce girls to the world through play. "We consulted with the Mexican Embassy on the Dolls of the World Mexico Barbie, especially with respect to the selection of the Chihuahua," a Mattel spokesperson told me.

After looking through the entire collection, I think the problem goes beyond the Latina dolls. Over at Yahoo! Shine, I've pulled together a slideshow of some of the most-popular dolls in the collection. Take a look and decide for yourself: Are these ethnic Barbie dolls stunning, or just stereotypical?

Spending $500 on school supplies? How to keep costs down

I was happy to return to Fox 25 News in Boston today, this time to talk about how to save some money while back-to-school shopping. Here's the clip from the show:

Consumer experts are saying that parents plan to spend $500 or more on back-to-school items this year; the number sounds outrageous, but once you add electronics and school clothes into the budget, it's easy to see how parents can spend that much or more per child. Over at Yahoo! Shine, I interviewed frugal shopping expert Mir Kamin of WantNot.net about ways parents can keep costs reasonable.

Kamin suggests that people pay attention to store sales and shop "outside the box," keeping an eye out for deals at the grocery and drug stores as well as office supply centers and warehouse clubs.

"The thing to remember is that 'loss leaders' like 10-cent Crayolas and such are there to bring you into the store and make you feel like that overpriced comic-character notebook is a deal because you saved so much on glue and erasers," she explains. "So basically, watch the sales flyers, grab the cheap stuff when it comes up -- and grab extra, so you don't need to re-buy halfway through the year -- but don't buy the stuff that isn't dirt cheap."

You can read the rest of her tips here: ""Back to school spending: $500 per shopper?"

Tricky interview questions, and how to answer them, on "The Shine"

When I'm not tapping away at my computer, I'm often in front of the camera, talking about news, workplace, and parenting trends. This week, I was back on "The Shine," Yahoo!'s fantastic talk show (you can find previous episodes at Shine.Yahoo.com). Host Alesha Renee and I were chatting about crazy job-interview questions and how to answer them. Here's the clip!

It's a topic I wrote about earlier this year on Yahoo! Shine ("Bizarre Interview Questions (And How To Answer Them)") and it's proven to be pretty popular -- I was tapped to talk about it on Fox Business News as well. Here's a clip of that segment, which aired July 10: What's the strangest thing you've ever been asked in a job interview?

Industries where women out-earn men, on "The Shine"

This week, I sat down with Alesha Renee on "The Shine" to talk about paycheck fairness and the few industries where women make more than men. Here's the clip!

You can find previous episodes of "The Shine" at Shine.yahoo.com.

Revamping your Resume? Keep these items off

I was a guest on Fox Business News recently, talking about the things you should keep off of your resume. It's a topic I've covered for both Yahoo! Shine ("The Worst Things to Put on Your Resume") and for Yahoo!'s talk show, "The Shine,"(you can watch that clip right here) but here's the clip from the folks at Fox:

What to eat if you can't buy organic

I was on Fox-25 News in Boston this morning, talking about the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen Plus" and "Clean Fifteen" lists and offering suggestions about how to avoid pesticides if you can't afford to buy all organic produce. Here's the clip:

Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

It's worth noting that, if you draw a line down the center of the tablescape (sweet potatoes, watermelon, and asparagus) those things plus everything to the left of them are perfectly fine to buy conventionally -- that is, the pesticide levels on them are so low that it doesn't make much of a difference whether you eat "regular" versions or organic ones. Everything to the right, though? If you have money to spend on organic produce, those are the things you want to buy. A good rule of thumb is that if the produce has a think skin that you can eat -- so, peaches, apples, grapes, berries, lettuce and leafy greens, for example -- you should try to buy organic.

I wrote about the EWG's lists on Yahoo! Shine recently: "When Buying Organic Does (and Doesn't) Make Sense." The "Dirty Dozen Plus" and "Clean Fifteen" lists are pretty straight-forward, but bear in mind that the benefits of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables far outweigh the risks posed by FDA-approved pesticides -- the EWG found traces of them on their produce samples, not massive amounts. And while some fruits and veggies absorb chemicals or grew from seeds soaked in pesticides, most had pesticide residue only on the surface; a simple wash in cold running water (without soap or bleach) is enough to remove most of it.

In the Fox-25 clip, I point out that locally grown produce is less likely to have lots of pesticides, but there wasn't time to explain the idea fully. Just because something is local does not mean that it was grown organically, but if the produce doesn't have to travel a long distance to the store (and look perfect once it gets there), chances are it will require fewer chemicals to keep it fresh and pest-free. Also: There are plenty of farmers who are not certified organic but who use only a minimum of chemicals and pesticides on their produce. The bottom line? If you're at your local farmer's market, ask whether the food was grown organically or when the last time it was treated. Still feeling worried? Grow your own (some of the most-contaminated produce, like green beans and lettuce, are pretty easy to grow in a garden or even in pots on a balcony).

What not to put on your resume, today on "The Shine"

Today on "The Shine," Yahoo! Shine's new online talk show, I sat down with host Alisha Renee to talk about the things you should never put on your resume. Take a look!

Of course, there's always more... check out the video and my article, "The Worst Things to Put on Your Resume," only at Yahoo! Shine.

Change Your World: Women, the media, human rights, and social change

I'm in Washington to represent Yahoo! Shine at "Change Your World," a summit on women, technology, social and digital media sponsored by Yahoo!'s Business and Human Rights Program. I've met a lot of truly inspirational women who are working hard, on and off-line, to change the world, and the day isn't even halfway done yet.

You watch the live broadcast here (I'm hoping that there will be a recording available later, too), and follow along as the attendees Tweet about it at (the hashtag is #YahooCYW).

The panel that I was on was moderated by Lauren Bohn, a journalist and Fullbright Fellow based in Cairo, Egypt, where she is the founder and associate editor of "The Cairo Review," a foreign-policy journal. We were joined by Courtney Martin of Feministing and ValentiMartin Media, Georgia Popplewell of Global Voices, Holly Gordon of 10x10, Lindsay Guetschow of Participant Media, Lisa Belkin of the Huffington Post, and Mikaela Beardsley of Half the Sky. 

Photo courtesy of Helen Rosenthal (@HelenRosenthal)

We discussed the idea of "Media with a Mission" -- can (or should) journalists be advocates for change? Does online media amplify women's voices more than traditional media? Can a movie be entertaining and empowering at the same time?

During the discussion, I met women who are trying to change their communities from the inside, by running for office (and battling stereotypes and discrimination along the way). I met women who are struggling to change lives of girls in impoverished countries, to improve options for education, to bring technology to the far corners of the world. And they're all making a difference.

Stay tuned to Yahoo! Shine as I write more about these inspiring women and the things they're trying to do to make life better for people everywhere.

What makes Time's breastfeeding cover so controversial?

Yesterday, I wrote a front-page piece for Yahoo.com about this Time Magazine cover, which shows 26-year-old attachment-parenting advocate Jamie Lynne Grumet nursing her nearly 4-year-old son.

Does this cover cross the line? (Photo: Time.com)

You can read that piece here: Reactions to Time Magazine's breastfeeding cover: Did Time go too far? Today's follow up, about Grumet's appearance on NBC's "Today" show, is here: Jamie Lynne Grumet defends her Time magazine breastfeeding cover.

One day and nearly 17,000 comments later, I thought I'd write about what I really think about the controversy.

Money saving tips from Yahoo! Shine and Anderson Cooper

Yahoo! Shine was featured on Anderson Cooper's daytime talk show, "Anderson," today, as I doled out a few money-saving tips. You can watch the clip on Yahoo! Shine, find out more about the "Easy Money Hour" episode of "Anderson," and read my tips right here at WriteEditRepeat:

An exclusive interview with Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, only on Yahoo! Shine

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden during an interview with Yahoo! Shine Senior Editor Lylah M. Alphonse in the Diplomatic Room of the White House, Nov. 2, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson; photo via Yahoo! Shine)

Last week, I went back to the White House, this time for an exclusive sit-down interview with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden. The interview was supposed to focus on the Joining Forces initiative and military families, in honor of Veterans' Day, but Yahoo! and Yahoo! Shine readers submitted nearly 5,000 questions for me to pour over, so I was able to touch on a few other topics as well.

Here's a look at the segments, which went live on Yahoo.com today:

DIY natural African-American hair styles for Barbie. Plus: The Roundup

I've written before about my struggle with my own hair. It's super-curly (kinky-curly, really), and very long—when straightened, it falls almost to my waist. My daughter inherited her father's African-American hair; though it's never been cut in her entire 7-year-long life, it barely reaches her shoulders. I keep it in sleek, two-strand twists, with beads on the ends to give them that swingy weight she loves.


A generation ago, older women would have touched her twists and lamented over the "bad hair." Even now, people reach for my youngest son's bouncy curls and marvel at how "good" his hair is. Look at most of the brown-skinned dolls on the mainstream market, and you'll see this same idea reinforced: Disney's Princess Tiana and other fashion-forward dolls have classic Barbie hair, long and glossy and straight. Even Addy Walker, the African-American American Girl Doll who escaped from slavery in the 1860s, has
longer-than-waist-length, barely wavy hair.


If you want to give your girl a doll that's rocking a pair of puffs, twist-outs, or braids, you'll probably have re-style it yourself—and that's where this awesome post from Black Girls with Long Hair, by NikG of Beads, Braids, and Beyond, comes in. She takes a couple of standard Barbies—the "So In Style"Grace and Chandra dolls—and sets about transforming their long, straight tresses into bouncy, kinky, curls.

I've written about it over at Yahoo! Shine, but basically Grace went from the standard look (above), to this:





Comb out the curls, and you end up with an awesome Afro or Halo. Read the post at Shine ("A Barbie with natural-looking African-American hair") to find out how to do it yourself.


And now, The Roundup:

On Yahoo! Shine:

• Certain birth-control pills pose a greater health risk to women. Is yours on the list?
• Heinz offers foodies a fancier ketchup spiked with balsamic vinegar
• A Barbie with natural-looking African-American hair: How to make it yourself
• Obama moves to ease student-loan debt, but will the new measures really help?
• What would you ask Michelle Obama or Jill Biden? We're bringing your questions to the White House
• HPV vaccine now recommended for boys. Would you have your son get the shot?
• Does your guy suffer from the Man Flu?

On Work It, Mom!:

• How often do you undermine yourself?

On 4 Kids or More:

• Confessions of a clutter queen

The White House and the winter garden. Plus: The Roundup

Last week's excursion to the White House didn't end indoors. After the small roundtable discussion with Michelle Obama, the other invited journalists and I joined a couple hundred teachers and school officials on the White House South lawn to celebrate the winners of the Healthier U.S. School Challenge.

On the South Lawn, October 17, 2011.

After milling around and munching on apples, White House chef Sam Kass took us down to the official White House garden for an exclusive tour. You can read about it on Yahoo! Shine, of course: The White House and the winter garden: Eating local all year long. My favorite part was getting to snack on pineapple basil blossoms and learning about some of the Thomas Jefferson heirloom seeds that they had planted, courtesy of Monticello. Here are a few pictures from that tour:

A slate tablet in the garden. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

Part of the White House garden. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

White House chef Sam Kass with the Thomas Jefferson fig tree. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

Chef Kass picks one of the last of the pumpkins. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

The White House garden, with the Washington Monument in the background. (Photo: Lylah M. Alphonse)

And now, The Roundup:


On Yahoo! Shine:

• Michelle Obama on the things that matter most to moms
• The White House and the winter garden: Eating local all year long
• Missing baby Lisa Irwin's mom admits she was drunk when her baby disappeared
• Gifted child? Study shows kids IQs can change during the teen years
• What, no rapture again? Maybe the Apocalypse is taking place on Wall Street
• U.S. troops in Iraq will be home for the holidays, Obama says

On Work It Mom!:

• Juggling work and family when you're away on business

On 4 Kids or More:

• What's your go-to meal when you don't have time to cook?

On the Savvy Source for Parents:

• Kid-friendly haunts in the Greater Boston area