And who sang them the best?  That was always the question and fodder for debate. But whose name always rose to the top? Whitney Houston.

Whitney Houston helped to tell stories through songs that were apart of the soundtrack of our lives. She was remembered at her Homegoing Service with laughter and tears. And the church setting was the perfect place for the world to remember her as God always did for her hits and not her misses.

Whitney Houston was the first person to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with seven consecutive singles.  Houston’s list of awards includes 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards among the 400+ awards she received in her career.  Houston was also one of the world’s best-selling music artists, having sold over 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide.

For more on Whitney Houston click here.

This is not to say that there shouldn’t be some guidelines or benchmarks when it comes to developmental milestones. But it is to say that there shouldn’t be a breakdown (as in crying spree on our part Moms)  if our child goes one minute pass them. And there shouldn’t be so much pressure to beat or meet them.

Case in point, I was feeling frantic when my baby was only doing an army crawl versus a regular crawl. But developmental milestones from motor skills to language development are guidelines to go by not to live by. Babies are busy developing intricate skill sets that will last a lifetime. Your baby may be breezing past milestones or may be a little behind the typical time frame. When my daughter was ready she pulled herself up on her knees and began crawling like crazy. Encouraging, modeling and supporting your baby is usually all they need to reach milestones in their own time.

Here are some developmental guidelines for motor skills:

Lifting Head: 2-3 months
Pushing Up: 2-3 months
Rolling Over: 4-6 months
Sitting Up: 6-7 months
Crawling: 7-10 months
Pulling Up: 10-12 months
Walking: 10-15 months

If your child’s motor development seems extremely delayed, consult your pediatrician.

Looking for some foods that will create a romantic atmosphere? S

The darker the sweeter for you!

Dark Chocolate with a high cocoa content contains heart healthy resveratrol and improves blood flow to the skin which enhances hydration, increases dermal thickness, and decreases roughness and scaling.

You can pair your dark chocolate with Strawberries with are an excellent source of folic acid.

Red Wine
Moderate red wine consumption can have some heart-healthy effects, like raising HDL (good cholesterol) and inhibiting the formation of blood clots.

Juice
Don’t drink? You can enjoy grape juice which provides a dose of heart-healthy resveratrol. Grape juice, like red wine, has been shown by research studies to reduce blood clotting and reduce damage to artery walls. You still want to drink it moderately as it can too much will add unwanted calories.

Pomegranate: This juice is paced with tannins a nutrient that helps maintain healthy blood flow

Seafood
Oysters boost your libido and immune system with the zinc found in this delicacy.

Salmon contains Omega-3 fatty acids which can help reduce heart rhythm problems and may help reduce triglycerides and plaque buildup, and inhibit blood clotting.

Caviar is an easily digested protein that’s high in B6 and B5 to balance hormone levels.

Nuts for You
Almonds in particular have been purported to act as a sexual stimulant.  The nut provides high doses of vitamin E, magnesium and fiber.
Spice it up
Chilies have capsaicin which increases circulation and releases endorphins that make you feel good.
Basil: The fragrant aroma is said to cure headaches and the Italian symbol of love is filled with beta carotene, magnesium, potassium and vitamin C.

Whitney Houston helped to rally a nation at war with her soul stirring performance of the National Anthem during Super Bowl XXV. But it was industry insiders and family that would try to help Whitney rally past drug problems  and a tumultuous marriage to R&B star Bobby Brown in recent years.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

Troubles aside Whitney’s majestic voice and how the beauty burst onto the scene will leave an indelible mark on the industry and her fans. Her fans are sure to memorialize her with perhaps her greatest hit “I Will Always Love You”.

The first photo of Beyonce’s child could have raked in millions. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt received $11 million dollars for the first photos of their twins. Instead the couple known for keeping details of their personal life private shared this simple hand written note on Tumblr. “We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives. The Carter Family”

I certainly support whatever method parents choose. And they could have opted not to release photos or they could have brought the veil back a la Michael Jackson.

But with so much money to be had because money is still being made from media outlets covering the story to Tumblr benefiting from the increased surge, what of getting some of it? Perhaps the dollars from the sale of a photo could have been used to fund a child care center for a community in need; relief in Haiti, food banks, music in school, military families, college scholarships and the list goes on.

Releasing photos was the only way to reduce the paparazzi frenzy to be the first one to get a photo. The celebrated couple’s announcement was a personal approach to the overwhelming curiosity and well wishes from fans. But was it the right approach?

Including the return of one of my favorite characters, Matthew Broderick as Ferris Bueller. History has proved that beloved characters, celebrity endorsements, babies and pets keep us talking and buying following the Super Bowl. This year’s spots which ran advertisers $3.5 million for 30 seconds delivered all of the above.

Throw in some chocolate nudity via M&M’s and you have a fun and buzzy collection of Super Bowl Ads.

Honda “Matthew’s Day Off”

Chevy “Best Gift Ever”

M&M’s

E*TRADE

And the always anticipated halftime show had hundreds of extras, dancers, special effects, elaborate staging and a bird; or at least one performer M.I.A. who decided to flip the bird during the Super Bowl halftime show.

The obscene gesture which came compliments of British singer M.I.A. who appeared as a special guest alongside headliner Madonna was not able to be cut from the show.  In addition to raising her middle finger M.I.A. who is also Mother to a small child, appeared to sing, “I don’t give a (expletive)” at one point. The NFL and NBC wasted little time in responding and apologized to fans.

“The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing and we apologize to our fans,” said Brian McCarthy, spokesman for the NFL, which produced Madonna’s halftime show.

What is it with the Super Bowl halftime show? It is one of the biggest gigs on the planet for a performer. So the pressure to nail it is on. But when did the pressure to titillate come in?  The Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction seen round the world in 2004, caused an uproar and government scrutiny.

When did good taste, decency and gasp just giving a great performance give way to thinking up the crudest thing that can be done? Is the pressure to be talked about over the water cooler the next day mean that it should be done by any means necessary? So, has Americana gone M.I.A.? Are we entertained by these type of antics? The public outcry over Janet Jackson’s nipple gate sent a message that we want the Super Bowl to remain America’s family friendly game.

I believe the NFL and NBC went out of their way to avoid this type of blunder. Even Madonna played by the rules. Perhaps the memo to M.I.A. to keep it clean went M.I.A.? Hopefully the fans will do the same at the record stores when they pass by her album.

There seems to be a trend today where “tough” ladies fare well on television. At least that’s what Jan Brewer and her team likely hoped for when she famously wagged her finger in President Obamas face on the tarmac in Phoenix, Arizona in January 2012. You’ve seen the shows…Mob Wives, Basketball Wives, Sarah Palin’s run for President. But Jan Brewer likely missed the episode of the Braxton Family Values when family matriarch Evelyn told her daughter that if she disrespected her again she would “slap the piss out of her.”

What did happen to respect? One of the reasons why nations and peoples around the world admire the United States of America is because of its ideals. Remember when we used to respect the office of President regardless of which side was in power? Jan Brewer’s actions probably got her desired result. Her explanation in part for her pointing attack was she didn’t like President Obama’s response about her book. She called him thin-skinned. Their spirited exchange has helped her book skyrocket from number 311,472 to number 15 on Amazon. So, she may feel like she is winning.

But is she? At what cost do we now want to win? Is it at the cost of disrespecting self and country? Is it at the cost of empowering others to show the same disrespect and seeing the morality of the nation slip even further? Now back to Evelyn Braxton. I’m one of those and hopefully most of are that was brought up that you don’t respect your parents. That there are ramifications for that. (Hence Evelyn’s slapping the piss out of you comment.) You respect the office of Mom or Dad. For those of us who are over the age of 5, would you point your figure in your Mother’s face or your Dad’s? Then why would it be okay to point your finger to the man with the highest office in our land? Oh yeah, it isn’t okay Jan Brewer.

My mom’s got it bad. She’s a sneaky snacker. Do you sneak and snack? Are you one of those kind? You don’t have to be. I finally had to do it. I had to bring my Mom in. We had to have the mano a mano. Here’s the deal: Snacking sometimes gets a bad reputation. In reality smart snacking can be great for your diet and your weight.  Eating small meals will help speed up your metabolism, which is important in losing weight. In addition, you can boost your nutrition by adding the right nutrient filled snacks into your diet. You will have more stamina throughout the day and at mealtime, you will also be less likely to overeat as you had proper nutrition throughout the day.

The only time sneaky snacking is bad is when you daughter had her mouth ready for some animal crackers and they are gone. In this case you may want to head out to the store because you won’t like me when I’m angry.

Here’s some tasty healthy snacks to stock up on (while you’re there).

• My favorite! I’ve gotta start with my favorite this snack feels more like a appetizer. 1 oz buffalo mozzarella, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
• 100 Calorie Goodness. There are many 100 calorie snacks on the market now that will help you maintain portion control try 100 Calorie Kettle Corn
• Nuts. Let’s call a spade a spade. Sometimes we just want something to do and food is it. Keep yourself occupied while filling up on a nutritious snack. Buy some shelled peanuts get some newspaper and have at it.
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfait – Keep it interesting by adding your favorite fruits to low fat yogurt.
• Animal Crackers – If you are hungry enough to eat a cow, eat 15 of them in the animal crackers