It’s all over.  It is still sad.  One FINAL look back at Jon & Kate Plus 8.  Now, let there be peace.

NO Taylor!  I LOVE your curls!  PLEASE keep them.  It is so important for girls with curls to have an amazing role model.  I hope you are just experimenting and having a fun makeover.  Of course you look gorgeous either way, but PLEASE KEEP THE CURLS!  They are your wonderful trademark!

My baby girl Annabel wants you to keep them too. Girls with curls ROCK!

Now THIS is the performance I wanted to see on the American Music Awards.  Hopefully there is more of THIS in your future.  You are an amazing singer and performer, Adam.  (Plus, might I add, you are incredibly handsome.) You don’t need all that other “stuff” to get my attention.  You’ve got it when you sing a song like THIS:

1. Adam Lambert’s crazy performance at the American Music Awards on Sunday.  I wanted to do a recap of the entire awards show, but the only thing I keep thinking about is Adam and his many bumps, grinds, and that KISS.  Okay, I get it.  That was the POINT.  He WANTED the water cooler talk the next day.  (Adam has arrived!  Woo-Hoo!)  But I just thought it was too much, too soon.  I LIKE Adam.  I’ve written about it here and here and here.  I was excited for his post-Idol career.   I guess I was just expecting to see the Adam I fell in love with on American Idol. But he showed his true colors at the AMAs.   I’m sure he’s fine with the fact that he’s now alienated his core American Idol audience of soccer moms.  Well, that’s me.  Bummer.

The 10 seconds of his performance I actually enjoyed

2. Oprah leaving her talk show in 2011. I already wrote about it here.

3. The series finale of Jon & Kate Plus 8 last night.  I really thought Kate looked great and Jon looked relieved.  I’ve watched this series since day one and it is just so sad to see it end this way.  A broken marriage, tons of tabloid scandals, and bitterness.  At the end of the day, I just hope those eight adorable kids are happy.

4. Entertainment magazines, websites, and television shows that do those “Celebrities Without Makeup” or “Celebrities and Cellulite” pieces.  Just…MEAN. 

5. And, finally, the fact that I am about to consume a bazillion calories in T-minus two days and counting.  (But, oh, it will hurt so good.)

Taylor Swift was named Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Awards last week and that pretty much said it all.  She truly is the Entertainer of the Year. 

She is the face of country music. She is the face of pop music.  Best of all, she is the face of teen celebrity and that is a sigh of relief for many moms of young girls right now.  She is a great role model.   She is a talented artist who writes her own music, plays the guitar, and sings.  (She doesn’t just dance and lip sync around the stage in tight clothes.) She twitters and really appreciates her young fans.   She likes her parents and has a great relationship with her mom who is always with her at press events and appearances.  She is not drinking underage or hanging out all night at dance clubs.  She  also showed us that she has a wicked sense of humor with this fun opening monologue on Saturday Night Live.

I opened the mailbox today to find her staring at me (in 3-D!) as the cover girl on InStyle Magazine.  She looks gorgeous and glamorous and, might I add, age appropriate.  I especially love that she is super tall (5’11”) and has curly hair (“I love it when girls rock curly hair!” she says in InStyle)  just like my baby girl Annabel.  The article confirms again that she doesn’t drink or smoke and that her answers to questions “come out in long, perfectly formed sentences mostly free of ‘ums,’ ‘likes,’ or slang.”  I pray she understands how important it is to be a great role model.  I hope she remains untainted by all her fame and fortune.

Taylor will also make an appearance in the new romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day” which opens nationwide February 12th. It’s from the director of “Pretty Woman” and stars a megawatt cast of A-listers including Julia Roberts, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, and Jessica Biel.  But the only buzz I’ve read about this movie so far is that Taylor Swift kisses that boy from the “Twilight” movie. (!) 

This truly is the Year of Taylor Swift.,

I’m so proud of my little man right now I could BURST.  They say it only takes ONE DAY to potty train, you just have to pick the right day.  And when I say “they,” I mean the pediatrician and the parenting expert who wrote this amazing parenting book Toddler 411.  It is my toddler bible.  Baby 411 is my baby bible.   I love both books so much because they are simple and to the point. They cover every topic from breastfeeding and milestones to medical issues and potty training ?????? ?????????? ??????. 

Well, we definitely picked the right day to potty train.  It’s been two weeks since we started and, as of right now,  Bean’s bathroom potty chart looks like this:

So far it’s been an unbelievably easy and seamless transition. (KNOCK ON WOOD.)  I’m one proud (super lucky, super blessed, and, hopefully, NOT jinxed) Mama.

Saturday was Date Night!  Hubbie and I went out for pizza, beer and a movie.  We loved all three.  We saw Michael Jackson’s This Is It. 

This Is It is as equally entertaining as it is sad to watch.  I didn’t understand how close Michael was to his world tour until I saw the movie.  There were elaborate sets, video screens, new dancers, and fanfare all ready to go.  Michael looked like he was still at the top of his game.  His voice sounded great.  He was in control.  His dancing was impeccable.  It was fun to see the flock of newbie dancers in awe of his talent. Then he lost his life. 

Most importantly, his music is undeniable.  I was trying to stop myself from jumping out of my theatre seat to dance! He performed  “Beat It,” “Thriller,” “Billy Jean,” “Smooth Criminal,” “Jam.”  It was going to be the concert of a lifetime. 

I want to give a special shout out to Orianthi who was Michael Jackson’s rockin’ lead guitar chick.  She is talented and super gorgeous and I’m sure she will be a huge success on her own.  It is sad that no one got to see her perform with MJ in concert.  It is sad that all those amazing dancers didn’t get to tour with their hero. 

But I’m so glad they released this film.  It truly is a great final tribute to the King of Pop.

Matthew McConaughey is 40 years old today.  Happy Birthday!

Not only is Matthew McConaughey a gorgeous man and romantic comedy movie heartthrob, he is also a really awesome human being.  I know because I spent two days with Matthew McConaughey back in 2005. 

I was working as a movie publicist and Matthew came to my city to promote his movie Sahara.  He was on a multi-city press tour where he traveled around the country in an airstream trailer that was plastered with images from Sahara.  He was THAT devoted.  It’s also not a secret that he basically lives in a trailer most of the time anyway and he loves adventure.  So this was right up his alley.  When he arrived in my city, it was SNOWING.  He was scheduled to do his television interviews in front of the trailer.  The trailer would be the backdrop.  I was a little worried because, hey, he IS a celebrity.  I thought he would say forget it and just opt to do the interviews inside the warm trailer instead.  Nope.  He stood outside in the cold and snow for over an hour to do all the interviews.  It was a blast.  Everyone was laughing about it and having fun. 

He is just a cool guy. He is very laid back and down to earth.  At the time he was dating Penelope Cruz.  He was thinking about her a lot because she was presenting at the Oscars that evening.  He didn’t complain at all about his schedule.  But he did want to be finished in time to catch his girlfriend on television.  And he said it in such a loving way.  I will admit that he did stay in a hotel that first night.  It was still snowing and it was really cold.  He was fine staying at the closest hotel which was a small Holiday Inn in the college town next to his trailer park.  I think he was happy to have a king size bed and decent shower.  All he asked me to bring him the next morning was his Starbucks: a grande skim latte with two brown sugars and a bran muffin.  Of course he eats healthy, right?  His travel assistant wanted donuts.  Ha.  But MAN was I STRESSED about those brown sugars.  I was not a Starbucks addict at that time so I was confused about that order. Do I tell the barista to put in brown sugar?  Do they have brown sugars to go?  Well, it turns out it was sugar packets that are brown in color.  It was just grain sugar.  Thank goodness I got the order right. 

Although I doubt Matthew would have even complained.  He was that cool.  He was nice to everyone.  He took pictures and mingled with all his fans.  He even introduced his film at a military base that second night and he stayed late to shake hands and take photos with everyone who wanted to meet him. It was late so his dinner was takeout from TGI Friday’s.  I think he just wanted to be a regular guy.  And from what I experienced, he IS a regular guy. 

A regular, super famous, super hot, super nice, sexy guy.

PS: Best part about being a movie publicist: hanging out with cool, famous people.  Worst part: not being allowed to ask for a personal photo.  🙁

Annabel is turning into quite the little princess.  And, oh, how I love it so.