Blog Posts by Babble.com

muttasticOkay, I love everything about this.

When 8-year-old Olivia Pierce found out that her dog Princeton couldn't enter the Westminster Dog Show, she was disappointed, but unfazed. She simply started her own, mutt-friendly, dog show.

Related: 7 ways to give back to your local animal shelter

"I just wanted to have other people see dogs the same way that I do, to know that they are all special in some way," the Carthage, Missouri girl told the Joplin News.

With some help from her mom, Keegan Pierce, Olivia launched the Mutt-Minster Dog Show, with proceeds going to the Carthage Humane Society. Olivia's initial goal was to raise $300.

Thanks to competition entries and corporate sponsors, the Mutt-Minster Dog Show ended up raising $1,210 for the local shelter-the largest amount ever donated through a fundraiser not conducted by the organization itself.

"This was the first time someone wanted to just do a benefit on their own for us," Glenda Erwin, director of the Carthage Humane Society,

Ring Ring! The phone rings. It's 6 at night, and, if your house is anything like mine, you're making dinner, packing lunches for the next day, feeding a hungry baby, telling the dog not to bark at the cat, and trying to remember what you signed up to bring for the teacher appreciation lunch. It's not exactly a great time for a phone conversation. So, I don't answer.

You might not, either. But if you do, and you find you're speaking to a professional telemarketer fundraiser, consider hanging up. Or, tell your mother (or grandmother) to hang up and not to send a check the next time a fundraising phone call from a stranger comes to her home phone.

Don't make donations to these companies over the phone.

Nonprofits need donors. Most of them are run by passionate, dedicated people who want to make the world a better place, whether it's providing shelter for families fleeing domestic violence or training midwives in India. Support well-run nonprofits you know and believe in.

Related:

If your plans for the coming months are anything like mine, they definitely involve a summer cocktail recipe or two. So, to celebrate warm weather, longer days, porch or stoop sitting, and backyard hijinks, we've rounded up 7 incredibly refreshing classic summer cocktail recipes. From juleps to sangria, all the best warm weather sips are here! - By Elizabeth Stark and Brian Campbell

MORE ON BABBLE

20 mouthwatering summer smoothies

11 creative ways to enjoy an ice cream sundae

8 irresistible ways to have strawberries for dinner

I am always on the hunt for pretty prints. The shop First Mate caught my eye and I quickly fell in love! There are tons of pictures of nature, city life, and everyday scenes made beautiful. They have some really gorgeous prints and all affordably priced. Which ones are your favorites?

-By Melanie Blodgett

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20 creative and unique headboards you won't find at Pottery Barn

21 creative ways to decorate with a can of spray paint

25 incredible wall art projects for designer decor on a budget

break up gifts More attention-grabbing than the news that petite power couple Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough broke up, and even more startling than the time they dated tallying three years, was the rumor that Seacrest gifted his newly ex-girlfriend with a $3 million departing gift.

The story was that Seacrest gave his house to Hough as a farewell gift when their relationship ended. And although TMZ and "sources" now say that the exchange simply never happened (and as "credible" as TMZ and "sources" usually are, I have to ask why we never seem to see both reporting in on celeb goss as the same time - hmm…), the "absolutely, positively false" story does raise an interesting question for couples on the outs, unhappy partners and those people thinking of Seacrest-Hough-ing it.

Should you give your ex (or nearly ex or just-about-ex or you're-looking-pretty-ex-y-today-ex) a token of appreciation (or guilt or concession) when you split?

If you need to cut and run, the answer is clearly no. But what if

I have a terrible time organizing my makeup and beauty products. Here's a peak inside my master bathroom. As you can see, I don't have a medicine cabinet so I'm always on the lookout for cute ways to centralize and display my go-to products. On the flip side, it's hard for me to accumulate too much stuff, which is definitely a positive. The lack of drawers and cabinets helps me stay on top when my makeup is past its expiration date (check out this video How Long Does Makeup Last? for more on that) and what I need to buy. If you too are looking for creative storage solutions, you'll love these 7 clever ways to display your beauty products. - By Jill Seiman

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25 beauty tricks that will save you time in the morning

6 essential steps to a healthy complexion

25 drugstore beauty essentials under $10

Shopping for warm weather clothes is one of the best parts about summer. Flirty dresses, chic sunglasses, bright colors -- what's not to love? Unfortunately, some people shy away from their inner fashion goddesses due to the inevitable challenges our favorite season can provide. How do you stay cool without feeling overexposed? Are there ways to dress up shorts for work? What about making sure your clothes don't wrinkle in the heat?

Luckily, all of our biggest summer style problems have been solved by one of my very favorite sources for retro-chic summery staples - ModCloth! They tackled every one of our fashion issues, from travel wardrobe woes to accessorizing questions. Check out 6 of my favorite pieces of advice:

1. PROBLEM: Looking cute while traveling
looking cute while traveling
Solution: "Breathable, wrinkle-free fabrics, with light layers, cute flats, and simple accessories."
See all of ModCloth's travel outfit suggestions.

2. PROBLEM: Help! I don't know how to mix patterns

Solution: "The trick is to

tweens and money management For elementary-aged children, money lessons are something that should not be avoided. While young children do not need to understand all of the goings-on concerning household income, they can and should learn age-appropriate lessons that will carry through adulthood if properly reinforced.

The 'tween age group, those who are not yet teens but still tend to spend a lot of money due to the large amounts of marketing being thrown their way these days, can learn many things about money to help prepare them for their years ahead. If parents are not teaching kids how to be responsible with their money, no one else is really doing that job for them. High schools and even colleges do not often cover the basic financial foundation lessons people need to know for the rest of their lives. Starting while kids are still young and impressionable can help instill habits that will help them manage their money more effectively in adulthood.

Parents also need to stay on top of their own financial