Barb's Daily Dose

Put a Big Smile on Your Face With This Video

A Brazilian

Things have really changed. I hate to sound like an old lady, but you know what, I am an old lady. In terms of women's health, I've certainly noticed that my patients have totally embraced the concept of "going hairless". Where did all the hair go?

The trend toward sparse, minimal and non-existent is here to stay! Mind you, not everyone has followed the trend. I thought this was a funny ad for hair removal.

MAINTAIN THE BUSH LADIES!

How Smart Is Your Right Foot?

You have to try this please, it takes 2 seconds. I could not believe this!!! It is from an orthopedic surgeon... This will boggle your mind and you will keep trying it over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but, you can't. It's Pre-Programmed in your brain!

Ok, Try This Out

• Without anyone watching you (they will think you are GOOFY.......) and while sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.
• Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so!!! And there's nothing you can do about it! You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try it again, if you've not already done so.

Send it to your friends to frustrate them, too. There's no point in feeling silly by yoursel!!

Essential Summer Classes for Partners

This is a guest blog submitted by Prefurstobe Anon.

Recently sighted in a catalogue from Youwish community college was the following disclaimer: Due to the complexity of the content and the low rate of matriculation, class sizes will be limited to no more than 8. What is this? I wondered, Quantum physics? New techniques in Neurosurgery? Or perhaps Decoding the human genome? Ok, now you have my attention. As I read further, it became clear that these were extraordinarily challenging and indeed deserved advanced study.

Symposium A:  The Toilet Paper Roll–Does it Change Itself? Round-table discussions once weekly for 3 weeks.

Lab:  How to Fill up Ice Cube Trays–Step by Step algorithm with instructional videos. This includes a 3 part assessment of how to recognize when trays are devoid of ice cubes and instead have a thin veneer of frost. Labs conducted in real kitchens Mondays and Thursdays for 3 weeks.

Survivor: Baby Shower

Picture this:  A group of smiling women arriving at a house that beckons to them with a dozen pastel  colored balloons tied to the mailbox. Each comes bearing a gift, perhaps beautifully wrapped in soft and muted colors with contrasting ribbons. Others will carry in an adorable gift bag that features cuddly duckies or bunnies.

Once inside, there are more smiling, happy women, seated or milling around a buffet table, groaning  under the weight of tiny sandwiches, cut up fruit with sweetened yogurt dip and sparkling fruit juices. In the middle of the table is a cake with tiny baby booties placed on top.

What Lurks Below

The talk is animated and excited, but lurking just beneath the surface of this garden party of expectation is a nagging feeling that somehow, someone is going home more scared than she should be.

You see, it seems like a baby shower is a rite of passage where seasoned moms and friends welcome the new mother into “The Club”. But for some pregnant mamas, this seemingly innocent baby shower is really a harsh uber-reality show: Survivor: Baby Shower. No, Jeff Probst isn’t here asking you to solve a puzzle or vote someone off, though, you might consider it.

Facebook

It was the worst of times, it was the best of times.

I hate Facebook!  I love Facebook!  Am I turning into a hapless imitator, albeit, not a very good one of Charles Dickens?  What's up with the current craze sweeping middle aged baby boomers and Facebook?

All of a sudden, we've discovered social networking, yet, I for one, do not have the skills (read boundaries) to manage this....yet..... I'm hopeful.

At first it's a nice way to reconnect with classmates, old friends and relatives.  Then, before I knew it, people were throwing Mardi Gras beads at me, suggesting that my IQ was lower than George Bush's and inviting me to poke someone, or better yet, throw a pie in someone's face.  I love it!  I hate it!

How to be a Bad Valentine

Happy Valentines Day!

Everyone is talking about how to be a good, romantic valentine. How about something different today? How about How to be a Bad Valentine.  This is a woman's perspective and directed at Men. 

Most women I know say that it's the little annoying things that add up and can't be smoothed over with flowers, jewelry or chocolate, though if it's dark chocolate from Paris, then, we might consider overlooking a few things. 

I've heard from lots of women over the years, and what you are about to read here, based on research, ok anecdotal, case reports, but research none-the-less, are the relationship killers. 

Guys, you ready?  Ladies, are you thinking of passing this along to someone?

Yoga Poses

This weekend, I went to a yoga class with some friends. I haven't been to a yoga class in 13 years, and things have changed.  First, the clothes are a lot cuter now. 2nd, the mats come in ice-cream and M & M colors. It was a serene Yoga Studio, with peaceful music playing gently and Buddha statues sprinkled here and there, to remind Type A personalities like me, to slow down and breathe.  

"I need this" I thought as my left shoulder tightened up automatically, when I remembered the presentation I had to finish by 5 pm. "Nope, I need balance. I need to take care of myself, maybe these yoga poses will help me stop hunching over a laptop."

Ok, 1st pose, Lying Down Child.  Hey, this is a piece of cake.  I can do this. Next, let's support all of our weight on our elbows and toes, keeping your back straight.  Let's hold that for 3 minutes.  This is called the Dolphin Plank Pose.

I think it really called, the Hey, My Abs are Like Mashed Potatoes Pose. Followed by, the decidedly non-peaceful thought of "How long do you really expect me to stay in this position?"  In fact Ghandi would not have been happy with some of my wandering thoughts.  Stay focused!

Then, the instructor, took his shirt off, ostensibly to show us how our muscles were supposed to look. One middle aged woman gasped, and he shrugged, "Yea, I know, I have a great body."

"Hmmm," I thought, well this is certainly an unexpected bonus. A little Yoga Eye Candy to stay motivated, or perhaps to feel even worse about how much cellulite has accumulated while I've been busy avoiding Yoga studios. 

7 Surprising tips for pregnant moms

This is a reprint of an article I wrote for The Cradle   Every pregnant mom knows the standard pregnancy tips. In fact you’ve probably heard the important ones about what fish to avoid and what tests you’ll need so often that you could teach this in medical school. 

So here, for the first time, are the 7 simple and surprising tips Moms to be need to know. 

#1 Put your oxygen mask on 1st – You have to take care of yourself both physically and emotionally to be the kind of mom you want to be. Running on empty doesn’t work for anyone. Remember you’re nurturing a new life, so find ways to nurture yourself. 

Catch some Happiness

Guess what? Your mom was right. Misery loves company! But surrounding yourself with happy people will make you happier. Lots of research has found that when people are around lots of happy friends and family members, your happiness quotient goes way up. Likewise being around the more depressed and negative folks will bring you down.

Happy people are like magnets. People are drawn to them, because they provide jolts of feel good chemicals and can leave you smiling. I think it's like cookies.  You can create a lot of goodwill with cookies, just like you can with a sunny outlook and enthusiasm.

This article is a great read.