I wrote a post this week over on Babble’s blog, Family Style: 5 Kid Shows that Won’t Annoy You. Yes, my beloved penguins made the list. That show might have the best one liners since Seinfeld. Believe it or not, this wasn’t an easy list to create. Let’s just say it was far easier to list the shows I don’t like, as opposed to the shows I like.  There are a few things about kid shows I just can’t stand:

1. – Men wearing tights. I find this totally ridiculous. What happened to normal pants? Why in the world does a grown man need to jump around and dance for an audience of small children wearing nothing but a smile and thin layer of spandex? If you know, please enlighten me.

2. – Characters with mismatched outfits. I understand these shows are all about bright colors and carefree attitudes, but why must the characters wear a pink top, orange socks, purple shoes, green shorts, etc. It really starts to bug me after the first 10 minutes. I keep wishing for a “makeover” episode where the character gets a new look and they burn the bad clothes in an animated inferno.

3. – Cartoon animals with tails. Have you noticed the Wonder Pets character, Tuck (the turtle), no longer has a tail? I won’t elaborate, but when he stands up and walks around, it doesn’t look like a tail….

4. – Puppet people. Oh, the downright freaky, puppet people. These cartoons feature a mixture of real people and people in puppet-like costumes. It doesn’t bother me in shows like Sesame Street because all of those characters are fluffy and lovable. In the newer shows, these characters are creepy and unnerving. If one of them rang my doorbell, I’d surely grab a weapon.

5. – Tricking us with yelling disguised as singing. You might be able to fool a toddler, but adults know the difference. Just because you can be really loud and read lyrics, doesn’t make it a song.

On the flip side, want to see which kid shows I love?  Hop over to Family Style! I’ve listed five educational, unique and witty shows that won’t make you wince at all.

I was half-asleep this morning when my sweet hubby started reading soccer news to me from his iPhone. I heard him ramble about “Paul The Octopus” and I thought he was talking about an Italian commentator named Paul who was dubbed with the nickname “octopus” because of his reputation as a womanizer. As he kept reading and I became more lucid, I realized he was talking about an actual octopus. What?!?

Yes, this Sea Life Aquarium resident has chosen World Cup winners with 100% accuracy. How does an octopus physically choose, you might ask. Well, he is given a clear tank with two separate boxes in it. Each box contains his food and displays a flag of each team. If he opens the lid and picks food from that box, he had made his prediction. You must see the video on YouTube as it’s quite amazing.

What will this poor fishy do after the World Cup is over? I was thinking reality television, but it would be too expensive to outfit him in Jimmy Choos, he’s not great at the art of backstabbing his friends and he certainly doesn’t need Botox. Then it hit me – OPRAH! Paul would bring a whole new element of excitement to daytime television as the host of  Oprah’s show. Can you imagine how memorable Paul’s interview with Tom Cruise might be? You know Tom would go for it since we all saw him talk to aquatic life in Jerry Maguire.

Paul would be whiz with Martha Stewart as a guest because he could hold eight meat cleavers at once. You know those episodes when Oprah gives a family a new car? Can’t you see a car pulling up with an octopus clinging to it for dear life? Like totally stuck on the hood with it’s gooey arms wrapped around the windshield? Besides, Paul could give great big hugs to guests after an emotional breakdown and he would never gloat about his fortune.  It makes sense to me. Perfect sense.

Image: The Examiner

If you love Project Runway like me, you’ll be excited to know Nina Garcia is coming out with a new book! The most recognized fashionista on television, who scrutinizes Project Runway contestants with brutal honestly and great one-liners, has announced Nina Garcia’s Look Book: What To Wear For Every Occasion, will be available on August 10, 2010. Oh, and she’s also the fashion director for Marie Claire. Like you didn’t know!

In the book, Nina Garcia answers the universal question all women at one point ask themselves when attending some of life’s most important events: “What should I wear?”  In her most practical—yet stylish as ever—project to date, Nina focuses her attention on what every woman needs to know when choosing what to wear to any life event—whether it be a job interview, a first date, or even a parent/teacher conference.  And let me tell you, lots of moms need help with this one.

The fun, flirty, illustrated guide features original four-color artwork by acclaimed artist Ruben Toledo, which compliments Nina’s trademark tone of voice. Whether you are already a fierce fashion diva or someone in need of  some couture advice, Nina’s book provides easy to understand, practical examples that will make you look and feel fabulous inside and out. Make a mental note in your stylish brain to get this book!!!

When it comes to trendy clothes, you know a killer asymmetrical dress works wonders.  I happen to love one-shoulder dresses and tops, but LuAnn is demonstrating obsessive behavior when it comes to her spatial relationship with clothes. Pun intended.

Don’t get me wrong, I think LuAnn is quite beautiful with a great body and that cool raspy voice. In my opinion, she is far more striking and naturally pretty than Kelly.  But why so many asymmetric necklines? What is with that?!?

When Ramona made the comment jokingly in all seriousness, “I think your purple dress with the one-shoulder is ridiculous,” I almost fell out of my chair. Yes! Ramona  finally said something intelligent. LuAnn, I love ya babe, but that dress is ridiculous.  I’m not sure if someone she respects in the fashion industry told her it’s a good style for her body type or what, but owning more than 20 one-shoulder dresses is probably a no-no, even for a duchess or a princess or a countess.

Who’s with me? Shall we start making phone calls and schedule this intervention? I’ll bring the Pinot Grigio.

It’s a  rainy, muddy, dreary day for the running of the Kentucky Derby. The track is wet & sloppy and there is a brisk rain and a cold wind. Yuck! I feel so bad for all of my friends who are there right now. Hopefully they are enjoying plenty of Mint Juleps and feeling no pain. Maybe they’ll win a few bucks too. That would help.

As you know, the Derby Hat Parade is practically more thrilling than the race. You can see all of the magnificent hats by clicking here. It’s like Carnival for your head! Want to see some of the celebrities who have graced Churchill Downs for the “Run for the Roses” – Brooke Shields, Kim Kardashian, Danica Patrick and many more!

I came across this hat last week on Etsy and just had to blog about it. I was reading about all of the women looking for that PERFECT Kentucky Derby hat and I thought this was a great fit. What a lovely hat for baby girl! I’m just amazed at the yarny goodness. You can read more about this beauty on Droolicious.

First of all, when I tuned in to the finale of Project Runway on our big HDTV, the Lifetime channel (26 in Austin) is NOT WORKING. Black, blank screen. What the freak? I run upstairs and start watching it on the tiny television in my kid’s playroom. Super crapola. Here’s a play-by-play of the show. It’s semi-liveblogging.

-I tuned in as they were working out some makeup details with Collier Strong and let me say the “dark eye” is just fabulous. I wish I had the courage to wear that look. I applaud Mila for choosing that look because it’s stunning up close and from a distance.

- Emilio is freaking out because he’s missing models or a model.  Whatever. He’s such a priss.

- Watching a commercial for Sex and the City 2 and wondering why they would ever write a camel into the plot. Seems odd. I’m sure I’ll have to watch the movie to find out. I’m a marketers dream!

- The models are lined up and Seth Aaron says he’s “amped” and for good reason.

- Heidi welcomes the crowd, looking gorgeous as always, but the dress looks like something in the Kardashian collection at Bebe. I’m sure everyone else will love it. It not my fave.

- Seth Aaron goes first and was inspired by the German military. (Trying to get on Heidi’s good side, perhaps?) Sounds familiar. His collection is really stunning! All black and white with red accents and yellow plaid. It’s like Hollywood rocker meets Burberry prep. His final piece is a wild purple thing I’ve never seen before. Let’s call it a dress. Wow, his clothes are absolutely impeccable.

- Oh boy, now Mila is crying about how hard she worked for this. Blah, blah, blah. Every person on the show has worked hard, even the folks who got auf’d. Sorry, I’m not really a Mila fan. I was hoping Jay would have made it to Fashion Week instead. His clothes seemed more inspired to me, except that awful MJ jacket.

- Mila was inspired by shadows for her collection. It’s black and white, just like Seth Aaron. OMG. It’s so similar to SA’s collection. Wow. It’s much more hip and innovative than many of the clothes she designed during the show. I’d say Michael Kors will like it because it seems commercial. Nothing really jumped out at me though.

- Emilio steps up to the plate now. His collection is called “Color Me Bad” and that is hilarious. The red dress is incredible for sure. I like the red pieces a lot – love those gloves – but not crazy about the blue and the brown pieces. I don’t get the color palette he chose, but what do I know. As Nina would say, it doesn’t seem cohesive. The final frock is way to gold. I’m not feeling these clothes as much.

- The judges are blown away by the show. Really?  Shocker.

- Faith Hill is just adorable. What a fun guest judge! The judges love Seth Aaron’s stuff, but they also didn’t get the purple dress. Heidi is wondering why Emilio named it “Color Me Bad.” Oh, Faith loves Emilio’s coats. Heidi likes his prints – with his name.

- Michel Kors liked Emilio’s gold gown. Interesting. It is totally commercial. Nina thinks it was heavy on the suits. I agree with her. Emilio said he wanted to showcase his sportswear. Mila again with shadows. “Layers, textures, dimensions,” she says. Michael, Heidi and Nina are glad she made the style more hip and now. Heidi liked the white t-shirt with the black stripes – so 80s!

- Michael’s issues are no surprises with Mila, too much over-working with Seth Aaron and no drama (showmanship) from Emilio.

- And the winner of Project Runway, Season 7, is… NOT Mila. She just got auf’d.

- And the winner of Project Runway, Season 7 is Seth Aaron. Congrats!!!

Image: MyLifetime.com

I was watching the Real Housewives of the OC reunion show last week, and evidently Gretchen Rossi’s hair is a big deal. I think she always looks pretty (and she is my favorite housewife!), but I never really noticed her hair. During the show they talk about how many viewers are in luuuv with her hairdo. (Scroll down to the comments to see what I mean.)

She says she doesn’t wear extensions and she achieves her look with big hot rollers. Hot rollers! Wow, I haven’t thought about those in forever. In fact, I haven’t owned hot rollers in about 10 years.

I certainly used them back in the day, but we all did. My friends with long hair would even sleep in foam rollers for the big, bouncy head of curls the next day. Out of curiosity, I checked out the hot rollers at CVS and chuckled. They haven’t changed much. This week, I’m going to check out what Target has and if they have the really big rollers, I might even indulge.

What about you? Are hot rollers still part of your beauty secret?

Maybe it’s because the weather has been so cold or maybe it’s because this looks so super-duper cozy. No matter what the reason is I love this maternity sweater. This is the Cable Batwing Sweater at Isabella Oliver and it’s on sale now for $167.

Speaking of looking fab with a baby bump, my favorite momtrepreneur, Heidi Klum, announced today she is working on two maternity lines. It’s about time! She chases around her four kiddos and still has time to do Project Runway, design jewelry and clothes and look incredible the whole time. Now that is talent, my friends.

Lavish and Loved will debut online and in stores February 12, 2010. A Pea In The Pod and Motherhood will carry her items. Lavish features iconic looks and Loved is affordable. (We’ll see!) Read more about it here!

Read more from MommyQ – Project Runway: Who’s Getting Auf’d Tonight?

Well, nobody actually.

Tonight is The Finale Part I of Project Runway and I’m so excited. This has been an interesting season, but not due to the contestants. I actually think there isn’t enough drama between them this season. Other than the tiny amount of tension between Irina and Althea because of an enormous sweater thingy, it’s been pretty ho-hum. I think the most interesting element has been the harsh judging. And the fact that Lindsay Lohan was like the worst, most ironic guest-judge of all times. I believe she questioned a designer’s “taste” and that is hilarious.

I’m a fan of Carol Hannah because I love her design aesthetic and her sweet personality. Not to mention she can sew a dress that fits like a glove – flawless execution! Tonight Rebecca Romijn will be the guest judge. I LOVE it when models are guests like last week when Cindy Crawford joined the panel. I am always amazed when someone’s beauty can stand up to Heidi because she is just so gorgeous.

I love Tim Gunn and Michael Kors still has the best one-liners. If you wanna own something cool from Mr. Kors, yet don’t want to spend a fortune, check out this little gem. It’s the Very Hollywood Eau de Parfum Ring and isn’t it a great gift for the holidays? You can find it for $40 at Michael Kors.

There, I said it. One of my friends on Facebook recently admitted to liking the new Miley Cyrus song, “The Climb.” I have a lot of respect for people who willingly admit potentially embarrassing truths, so I took her lead and decided to throw props to Tori Spelling, especially in the wake of her mother’s continued public betrayal.

I have to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of Tori Spelling during the 90210 days. In fact, I didn’t really like the show at all. The plot was horribly predictable and the amount of hair gel being used on the boys was obscene. Last year, I started watching reruns of Tori & Dean: Inn Love and was just amazed at how quickly I started to like Tori. She was funny, sincere, sweet, honest, goofy and even vulnerable.

The show didn’t seem overly contrived  me and the whole notion of a Hollywood couple trying to downsize their lives (while pregnant) and renovating a B & B at the same time was pretty entertaining. I haven’t seen the new show, Home Sweet Hollywood, but as a mother with two small children myself, I know it can only be non-stop chaos. The good kind.

Today rumors fly about Tori’s weight and Tori’s psycho mom, Candy, etc. I have no idea what’s true and what isn’t, but I feel sorry for her. When push comes to shove she’s a woman, wife and mother trying to make it all work. That’s no easy feat. If my mom started sending open letters to TMZ about what should be private issues, I’d be mortified.

Maybe this all a big publicity stunt – who knows? If it’s not, It’s just plain sad. And not the good kind.

You may know her as Chelsea Lately, the hilariously sarcastic comedienne on E! I know her as Hero #3. I’m not sure who my first two heroes are, but Chelsea certainly gets the third spot.

Her show is just the right amount of news, celeb gossip and cynicism, which I really appreciate at the end of the day. You know what I mean, everything – no matter how profound – is just plain old stupid or annoying by 10:00 p.m. I don’t want to hear one serious thought after 9:36 p.m.  And Chelsea gets that! Ah, refreshing.

Anyway, if you haven’t seen the show yet, you should tune in one night. I assure you it will either make you laugh or deeply offend you. Either way, it’s thoroughly entertaining. Just a friendly TV tip from MommyQ.

Luckily for me, my little dudes aren’t into this show. I’m not saying it’s bad, but I am saying it’s really creepy. I liken it to Teletubbies, which I would describe as “gently disturbing.” You can see for yourself without actually watching the show. Just visit the blog, Yo Blogga Blogga! That will give you a big old spoonful of weird.  No big deal though, the show wasn’t really created for me.

Anyway, tune in on April 3rd to see Mr. Black transform into…well, himself in an orange jumpsuit. After all, this is his son’s favorite show. See what parenthood does to you. It makes you all kooky. And that’s a good thing.

Julianne is awesome because she just seems like the nice funny goofy gal-next-door who just happens to be an incredible dancer and extremely ridiculously annoyingly hands-down flat-out stunningly beautiful. She’s so likable, you’re happy for her no matter how skimpy her glittery cheesy outfit may be.

I won’t even explain why guys like her. Let’s just say, she’s cute. Anyway…

I’m sad to see her go because she brings a youthful energy to the show that is refreshing. From one Dancing with the Stars fan to Julianne, best of luck.  Look out country music, a smart blonde bomshell is headed your way!

ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars, may be the best guilty pleasure to ever grace a television set. Over-the-top glittery costumes boasting more sequins than an ’80s prom, combined with some seriously smokin’ hot bodies transports you into a wonderland of acceptable raunchiness and what, pray tell, is more fun than that? Think of it as a smorgasbord of decent smut with a twist of ballroom dancing.

Every season they manage to choose stars that eventually capture your heart and no matter how hard you try, you find yourself rooting for someone. Or worse yet, cheering out loud when your favorite dancer nails the Paso Doble. (And yes, you learn the names of the dances too.)

Since it’s on network TV, you can ogle everyone as much as you want and it’s totally 100% acceptable. Why? Because you’re concentrating on the steps, the footwork, the form. You care about the dance, not the ridiculously fit body pulsating and gyrating to the music. You’re (gulp) appreciating art.

And the hot bodies just keep coming out on stage, one after another. Kym. Brooke. Toni. Karina. Julianne, a little thunderbolt of heaven. People who could care less about dancing are tuning in by the millions. For example, at least once a week during my daily commute radio personality, Bobby Bones mentions DWTS because the female dancers are so incredibly hot. He admits he watches the show solely for the hottness factor. I’m sure he’s not alone.

The professional male dancers are nothing to sneeze at either. Eye candy galore! In fact, the dancers, the stars, even the hosts and the judges (like Carrie-Ann Inaba) are attractive. Might I add, the dresses and the hair pieces they find for co-host Samantha Harris are ridiculously stunning. I have no idea how she holds her head up with all of those extensions weighing her down. That’s a lotta hair…

MommyQ’s recap of last night is pretty simple. Lance Bass and his partner Lacey Schwimmer finally did something right. When the show began, I saw those horrible purple costumes and all of that manliner and thought, “Ewww, this is gonna be bad.” But I was wrong. As soon as the Rhianna song started, the costumes immediately made sense and they performed the routine perfectly. Even the oddball faces and monster-like moves worked. It’s about time! Lance is no stranger to dancing. He was in ‘N Sync, right? He performed choreographed routines for a living. I knew he could bring it if given the opportunity. (Speaking of boy bands, did their routine last night remind anyone of the “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” music video? Not a BB fan, but that was an awesomely bad video and seemed oddly familiar…)

Mama of four, Brooke Burke is impossible to beat right now because she’s a really good dancer. What did you think I was gonna  say? Sure, her hip-swiveling moves probably sent some folks to the hospital for heart palpitations. What’s new? Former Raider, Warren Sapp had a uneventful night, but he’s still going to the finals because he’s so charismatic and light on his feet. How can anyone that big make ballroom dancing look so easy? MommyQ thought Toni Braxton, a fan favorite, looked confused and wobbly. Not sure why the judges didn’t give her a big dose of honesty like everyone else? Hmmm.

Read ABC’s official live blog.

Especially when it comes to creating stellar commercials. Where would the HP TouchSmart be sans Joan Jett’s rockin’ hit??? The moment I heard that catchy tune, I knew exactly who and what it was. Do You Wanna Touch Me? It wasn’t Joan’s biggest hit – hard to beat I Love Rock N’ Roll – but it was great. I just HAD to see her old music video and sure enough, there it was on YouTube.  Only one word can be used to describe an ’80s music video, AWESOME! I vaguely remembered the red jumpsuit! Jumpsuits, what an invention.

Anyway, the song took me back to a decade of big hair and even bigger bangs. Incredible marketing decision on HP’s part. Sheer genius. I would’ve loved to be a fly on the wall in that concept meeting. They will rock sales figures thanks, in part, to that critical song choice.  BTW, isn’t funny to think about how scandalous that song was when it came out?! Now it’s about as shocking as …er, well….nothing, I guess.

Swatch watches. Reebok hightops with enormous scrunched-up socks. Jelly shoes. Jelly bracelets. Guess jeans with zippers and bows. The always-hilarious lasagna-eating fat cat, Garfield. Perms. Rat tails. Finally getting rid of rat tails. ESPRIT. Units. Neon socks. The Atari-wanna-be, Odyssey. (Does anyone remember that piece of low-tech crap?) Here’s to every rad child of the ’80s. Keep gagging yourself with a spoon. Like, totally!

My mom, who spends a lot of time with my boys, asked me a pretty good Max and Ruby trivia question. “Where are their parents?” I thought about it for a moment and she was right, Max and Ruby’s parents are never in the show. They have a Grandma that makes many appearances, but no parents. And hardly even a mention of parents.

I did some digging and it seems the writer of the Max and Ruby books, Rosemary Wells, left out the parents for a reason. According to Wells, “As in most other classic stories, we don’t see Max and Ruby’s parents, because I believe that kids resolve their issues and conflicts differently when they are on their own. The television series gives kids a sense about how these two siblings resolve their conflicts in a humorous and entertaining way.”

Without us. The nagging, meddling parents…

When it comes to educational television programs for your youngster, there are so many choices. And yet, in my opinion, so few are truly entertaining. I’m not only recommending this show because it will make your toddler laugh out loud, but also because YOU will find yourself watching it, intrigued and thoroughly amused.

The show is called Word World and the title couldn’t be more fitting. All of the objects in the show are made of words – words that take shape and come to life. It’s a PBS Kids show (partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education) and won the Parents’ Choice Gold Award in March 2008.

The endearing Word World characters really spring into action thanks to the 3D CGI animation. Every day Frog, Sheep, Pig, Duck (my son’s favorite) and Dog go on comic adventures, and are ultimately faced with problems that can only be resolved by building the correct word. The songs are catchy and the stories are clever. It’s wholesome, fun and funny. Now go tune in and build a word…