Blog Posts by Babble.com

BotoxWhen I was young, freckled and puffy faced, without a wrinkle or a line but merely a few scars from my childhood, I remember thinking to myself I WILL age gracefully. I will accept my lines and wrinkles that slowly appear on my face over time as marks of a life well lived, of decades spent laughing, sobbing, and everything in between.

But here I am, a few years away from my 40th birthday… and with every overhead light that shines down and spotlights a newly formed line or deepening crevice on my face, I am reminded of my age. And instead of seeing these "age reminders" as I thought I would when I was much younger, I just feel like I look old and tired rather than happy to see a map of my life lived staring back at me. I don't feel like they signify times in my life even as much as my tattoos do. And since I'd never think of removing my tattoos, why do I so badly want to remove my lines?

It's not that I want to look younger, but my visible lines annoy me now as much as pimples did

Spring is upon us, and the warm-weather parties have begun. Now that everything is bright and in bloom, commence the hunt for cute outfits to match! I am loving all of the great patterns, colors and cuts of the spring tops making their way into the stores lately. There are so many great ones to choose from, so here are 7 of my favorite fantastic tops for spring.

-By Liz Stanley

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It's been a couple of years since I've run a race, but I can still remember the feel of the ultimate high: the rush of endorphins, adrenaline, and the feeling that you can conquer absolutely anything. It was only a 5k, but it far surpassed the rush of any half-marathon or beyond. It was an adventure course. A run through knee deep mud, barbed wire-laced pits, fire, and live wires. At the time I thought it was exhilarating. Everyone should sign up for one of these obstacle course races, I thought. Even those who hate running wouldn't be able to escape the excitement and sense of accomplishment.

Related: 7 ways to help kids cope with public tragedy

I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I can't shake the image from mind: before you could approach the starting line, you had to sign a piece of paper. I'm guessing most people didn't read much of it. I'm not sure I did. It said something about "risks of injury, or even death". That the organizers "couldn't be held responsible in

While traveling through cities in the United States, wouldn't it be great if you could pinpoint where the worst traffic was? There is nothing I loathe more than driving in city traffic. Maybe it's the country girl in me or perhaps I'm just not used to the congestion, but busy highways and traffic filled streets get me nervous and stressed. INRIX, the leading international provider of traffic information and driver services released their Traffic Scorecard Annual Report which reveals the cities with the most traffic congestion in 2012. For the last couple of years they noticed declines in congestion but for 2012 traffic was up 4%. Although this is certainly bad news for drivers there is a positive side to it as well. A rise in traffic means a turn in the economy which is certainly what we are all hoping for. Click through for 7 of the worst traffic spots in the USA! -By Nadia Carriere

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If someone were to ask me what makes me happy, my answer would most likely vary depending on the day. The obvious answer would be being a mama to my two girls. While I love being a mother nothing makes me happier than being their mama. It always feels like God handpicked us for each other. Although being a parent can be scary and challenging nothing has brought me more joy.

Another obvious answer would be being married to my husband. We annoy each other sometimes but we truly love each other and one of the things that I love about him is that he genuinely wants me to be happy. We both want that for each other. Other things that make me happy - smiling children, dessert, puppy breath, the sale section at Anthropologie, reading something that evokes emotion and making a difference in the life of another human being (and that's just my short list).

I wouldn't say my husband mopping the floor makes me happy or the fact that he cooked dinner last night so I could rest my still

What do you think of when you hear the word potassium? Bananas, right? Anything else? Probably not. Even though we all know we need potassium, common knowledge doesn't extend much beyond that simple fact. Potassium is a key nutrient that controls our blood pressure and only about 3% of Americans get an adequate amount in their diets. There are many other foods that have more potassium than bananas, like beans, spinach and potatoes. In fact, a new study shows that if you eat white potatoes, there is an increased intake of potassium, which can help ward against high blood pressure and stroke. I'm kind of in love with potatoes and am always happy to hear news of their health benefits. And while potatoes are mighty delicious smothered in cheese and butter, there are many healthy ways to enjoy these potassium-pumped beauties. Click through for 7 mouthwatering ways to enjoy white potatoes! -By Jane Maynard

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Could mango be the next "superfood?" Recent study findings presented at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) indicate that eating mango could impact blood sugar levels in a positive way as well as have anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Edralin Lucas of Oklahoma University found in a recent study that incorporating mango into the diet could potentially help with weight and blood sugar. That's right, this sweet treat might actually improve your blood sugar levels. In addition, Dr. Susanne Mertens-Talcott of Texas A&M University found that mango polyphenols may have anti-inflammatory properties. What does this all mean? More studies need to be done and nothing is conclusive, but we can conclude this: eating whole foods is always a good thing and mango may have added benefits beyond pure, sweet deliciousness! Click through for 7 awesome new mango recipes! -By Jane Maynard

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I consider myself fairly vigilant when it comes to monitoring June's media exposure. She watches the occasional Sesame Street, Caillou or Letter Factory DVDs but a story in The Atlantic yesterday about the sexing up of even Candy Land - Candy Land! - is a reminder that parents have to be careful about what sort of toys our kids plays with too. The classic child's board game is just the latest in a long list of examples of kids' toys in which the characters have become more sexualized, longer, leaner and sassier over time. At first glance, this may seem banal - so what if the 2013 version of Candy Land's Queen Frostine is a few pounds lighter than the 80s version? Well, it does matter-a lot, and there is ample research to back it up. Constant exposure to unrealistic beauty standards and hyper sexualized imagery is directly linked to low body satisfaction and diminished self esteem, according to body image expert Thomas F. Cash in his book Body Image: A Handbook of Science, Practice and