captions paid for by nbc-universal television ♪ hello, everybody. it's fun day monday. it's april 30th. no, i am not the big willie that was here all last week. >> look at you! >> hi, hoda. i missed you! >> i missed you, too. look at you. you look like you've been to a jazz festival or something. >> i think that yours is a far more important trip you took. you were gone for a week. we didn't say where you were for a bunch of reasons.

but now you can tell. >> you know what? i don't even know how to tell you all about where i've been the last ten days because i learned more in the last ten days that i have in my entire life. it was a very, very different kind of a trip for me. i have been to the holy land three times before. first time when i was 17 years old. it was my graduation gift from high school. i never even went to my high school ceremony. i was off. i've just been fascinated with biblical studies and that sort of thing. so i went two other times right after that but i hadn't been back in almost 40 years and i -- frank and i went with 16 other friends and we went for this very intensive study with a man named ray vander lon, who has something called that the world may know ministries. and this is a man who for 37 years, he's been to the holy land 270 times or something like that and teaches in a way that most people have never, ever been taught. which is you go where it happened, you talk about who said it and you talk about what

they saw and you see things all of a sudden through -- we see everything through western eyes. we can't help it. you don't as much because you have egyptian in you. you have a little bit of a -- but when you read the original text from their point of view and what it meant, it's profound in your life. so i highly recommend if you can't get on one of his tours, if you're interested in this sort of thing, that you go to his website and you can -- he's got hundreds of videos that he's actually done. you know, we've all heard about indiana jones. well, we call him michigan ray. he would -- we got off the plane in tel aviv at noon after flying ten hours. and we thought, oh, we're going to get settled in, have a little vino and dinner. you know, that kind of thing. no. he says let's get our luggage. we get our luggage. he says all right, get your hiking boots out. get your sunscreen and your hat, let's go. what he always does -- then we get -- within an hour we're on a climb. now, frank is with us. and he's the -- i can't do this.

you can't to kill the man because it's -- i've never done anything like this in my life. >> you saw like the mount of olives and -- >> no, everybody sees that when they go. no, we went to -- within an hour wearing these, which is my favorite thing. i've never had hiking boots in my life. you know what else i've never had? i've never had a hiking tan. i've got the fisherman thing. >> you do. >> for ten days, hoda-i didn't wear spanx, i didn't do makeup. i didn't -- i wore a bra. you'll see. that was it. >> kind of. >> you know how much i love lunch? lunch was at like 2:00 in the afternoon. it was two pieces of pita bread with some hummus in it. and i've never felt more alive more excited. it was so profoundly moving. we have a couple of pictures. there's frank and i leaving with our backpack. right as we're getting in the car, frank gifford says i don't want my hiking boots and forget this pack, i'm not wearing this. so i made him bring the boots. no, we didn't take the boots. he said i'm going to wear my sneakers. that's at the temple mount in jerusalem.

>> all right. >> keep going, everybody. there we are overlooking -- that's jerusalem in the background. look how happy frank is. that's at the mount of olives. but my favorite, favorite moment -- hold on a second for the picture of this one. see this family here? we had been talking -- we'd had a study about the fact that in that part of the world they were taught to leave the corners of their fields to feed the poor. you almost knew how generous a person was by how much they left for others who would be in need. and i found that so interesting. but it wasn't harvest time so i couldn't -- nobody was working in the fields. >> sure. >> we were driving through one of the palestinian areas. i believe we were in the benjamin hills. >> mm-hmm. >> and i look down, and there's this family working in the hills. and i go, there's a family. so our jewish guide, another gentleman named nadav, gets off and goes down and talks to this bedouin arab muslim family and says may we come down and talk

with you? we have visitors. so off this bus gets christians and jews who go down a very rocky trail to sit in a field with muslims. and it's as close as i've ever been to heaven. >> would you. >> that everybody there totally wished one another peace and love and a little bit of heaven on this earth. >> wow. beautiful. >> it was extraordinary and i want to tell you who these -- i got to tell you how to get these. first of all, they weigh like an ounce. i didn't even try these things on before i left, hoda. you're supposed to break things in. >> you didn't. >> i put them on on the way to go see where david smoked goliath. but these are inove 8 rock light boots. they're kind of expensive. $335 boot. but they cost $190. i wore them literally for ten days. nothing, nothing, nothing. >> no blister. those are awesome. >> the other favorite thing, this gentleman ray vander lon

who i cannot -- i thank from the core of my being for teaching me how little i know. i'm a student of this sort of thing and i study it every day and the minute i got there i realized that i knew hardly anything at all. so it's a wonderful thing to find out. >> what a trip. >> there's so much more to know. >> i love that. >> so what did you learn at the jazz fest? >> well, i was smashed. anyway, i went to the new orleans jazz fest and got hammered! okay. if you want another kind of religion, go to the jazz fest. okay? it was one of those crazy trips. i ended up having to go -- i went for a lunch. look at this. hold on. there's karen and me. crank up the audio. >> yes, i know the look. >> second line through the fest. jay's back there in the corner. so anyway, you go through, you dance through the quarter. -- i mean through the fairgrounds. they had cee lo green. but one of the greatest moments happened -- let me tee it up

before you roll the other tape. my best friend karen loves bruce springsteen more than anything on earth. okay. and she always wanted to meet him but never had the opportunity. he was playing at jazz fest but again, there kazillions of people. she finagled her way and got a good spot. she said the highlights of her life are the day she got married, the day her daughter was born, the day the saints won the super bowl, and the day bruce springsteen shook her hand. hold on. let's go. roll that tape. look. that's karen's hand. that's karen's hand. i'm just telling you. no, that right there -- i know it was fleeting. no, that's it. marriage, baby, saints win the super bowl, bruce springsteen shaking her hand. >> you know what? you know what today proves? that heaven means different things to different people. different things to different people. >> i know. we can watch it all day. >> oh, gosh. oh! what is more moving than that? >> she's not going to wash the hand. ever. >> the bedouin family.

>> today is honesty day. >> i couldn't come back to a better day. it was created in 1991. let's lie about it and say it was 1990. to encourage people to be more honest. these studies are amazing. >> yeah. i think there are lies and then there are white lies. i think there are hey, hoda, how are you feeling and i feel terrible and i'll say i feel good because why are we going to go into all the detail. i think that's a lie but that's one of those lies you just tell because you don't feel like stopping your day and explaining your business. >> you don't have to. all you have to say is i have a pulse and keep going. i'm alive. you don't need to know my business. >> i'm wearing a dress, you hate it, it's ugly. >> mm, not so much. which is not a lie but i let you know. >> but if i loved it and i was getting ready to go out and i didn't have another dress and i said, hey, i'm getting ready to go out, what would you say? >> you know what's on tv tonight and you don't want to miss it. no, i think i'd try to find a way to say something nice

without -- i just do. no, i've said them of course. >> we've all said them. >> i was 6 and -- you know, 6 year-olds do. that's what i was basically learning on this trip. it's almost like the doctors. first do no harm. do no harm. our mouths -- and lord, have i learned this the hard way. they're so powerful. words are so powerful and you can -- with one word you can make somebody smile. with one word you can put them in a fetal position. so what do you want to choose in life? how do you want to go about your day? >> right. that's true. >> you want to pass on a little peace to someone or do you want to pass on a little chaos? which nobody needs anymore. and by the way, i knew you were having a good time and knew you were hammered because you didn't care how your hair looked. >> my hair looked terrible. i know. i didn't care. and it was so hot and steamy. that's just rude. but can i just say one thing? >> what? >> tanktops, flip-flops, everyone's sweaty, everyone has a drink. >> everyone looks terrible.

>> everyone looks terrible. except karen, who can't look bad. but the gospel tent, just to go a little bit on the religious theme -- >> it's not religious. spiritual. >> the tent was unbelievable. the tent was packed. my arms -- they're always flabby under here but they're not as flabby because they were in the air the whole time i was there. okay. we have a -- >> awesome time. >> a great, great time. we have a new heroine. this lady we're going to talk about. >> we love this woman. >> she's from poland. >> she's from poland. >> she's angry with her ex-boyfriend. okay? and he came in for a dental check. she's a dental hygienist. >> i thought she was a dentist. >> she's a dentist. >> yes, she's a dentist. >> sew came in to get his teeth worked on, and she gave him the anesthetic. and he went out. >> bye-bye. >> and she pulled out everyone of his teeth. >> every single tooth! >> it's not nice to do! she said i tried to be professional and detach myself from my emotions but when i saw him lying there, i just thought

what a -- >> beep. >> and yanked out every one of them. >> and gauzed them up so he didn't know. he thought he was having one or two pulled and he got home and took out the gauze and there it was. >> what the -- >> anyway, she's being charged. i don't know why we're laughing. medical malpractice. >> she's a very good dentist. she could put implants in his mouth. but here's the thing. who's dumber? for her to do that because she's going to be in legal trouble, or for him to go -- call 1-800-dentist and find a new dentist! >> he thought he was going to get a freebie or something. >> all right. real quick favorite things right here. when your cleavage is always showing -- okay. good. anyway, there's fashion tape. this is by the hollywoodfashionsecrets.com. this is fashion tape. it's great. double-stick tape, you stick it in. this one i even love more. is called the deodorant removing sponge.

>> not birth control. be careful. >> you know when you put on your shirt and you have the deodorant stains, you just take the sponge and rub it and it gets rid of it. >> you don't have a problem with that. >> no, i don't. >> oh, wait, wait, wait. while you were gone. "people" magazine did its most beautiful list. and guess who happened to have been on there. and we have a good split screen. klg made the most beautiful list. look at this. and then this was your reaction when you were in israel and we told you the news. come on. >> it was actually the other picture when the long skirt -- some of the areas are considered holy so you have to cover up so i schlepped this skirt everywhere. only had to put it on once but boy was it attractive. anyway. sara, how about you, darling? >> well, i got a nail color. i got this done on my little piggies here that are not -- little stubby feet. but this is by tom ford called african violet. i'm obsessed by getting my nails

done because you can do it all the time. and it's just a fun summer color to put on your toes. >> see how shallow after everything we've talked about. >> i know. >> incredibly shallow. >> neimanmarcus.com. >> i spoke at a komen foundation luncheon. karen was in the picture, angela and me. and we're at this great luncheon that was great for breast cancer. thanks for that. >> awesome. well, it's great to be back. we've got a big old show. we're going to talk about all the buzz in hollywood with our friend rob shooter right after this.

♪ it is time for "today's buzz" and all the hollywood news you can handle from hot doc patrick dempsey to the white house correspondents' dinner to william and kate's first wedding anniversary. >> here to fill us in is naughty but nice, rob -- >> rob shooter. >> entertainment correspondent for the huffington post celebrity. >> we love our rob.

>> barry manilow is in town. he's going to do three days at radio city. i'm not going tonight. i'm going to go tomorrow. i see him at dinner. he looks great. >> i love him. >> so what about the white house correspondents' dinner? >> big weekend. so a lot of celebrities went down to d.c. they call this nerd prom, so this is the prom for nerdy smart people is what they say. lots and lots of celebrities there. kim kardashian was there. lindsay lohan was there. the president got up and told jokes for about 20 minutes. getting some sort of mixed response. some people thought he was very funny. some people sort of felt they'd seen it last year, there wasn't anything new. jimmy kimmel here was sort of the host of the evening. he also, too, had i think difficulty connecting some of these jokes. last year seth meyers did it from "saturday night live." >> and set the bar from what we hear. >> brilliant. jimmy did say, though, that he had more time -- more worries deciding about what jokes to tell than actually writing the jokes. he also said, too, president

obama is a very hard president for comedians because he's just not that funny. he's quite cool but he doesn't mess up that often, so it's quite a hard thing to make fun of him. >> that doesn't seem to make sense. nothing you say made sense to me. >> also, kim kardashian was there, stole the show in a beautiful red dress. looked quite sort of sophisticated. there was not a lot of flesh showing. she was asked on the carpet about her recent statement about running for mayor, maybe getting into politics. she said don't count it out. she said she might really want to do this one day. >> i thought she wanted to be a sitcom star. >> the mom is saying she's very busy. kris jenner, her mother, was with her saying she's very busy but she thinks kim would make an excellent mayor. let's wait and see there. also lindsay lohan was there. we can report she was not drinking. so that's a great sign. she looked really healthy. rick santorum went up to her

during the evening and asked to take a photograph -- >> that's just weird on many levels. >> and it was really weird because he didn't want to be in the picture. he just took her picture by herself. >> we've went a couple of times. it's strange to see people you only know one way, they're really kind of fans of other people in the iconic world and they make pretty much -- >> we had a twitter picture, sofia vergara. look who's hype here, george clooney. >> who was dateless, i hear. >> his girlfriend was working. they're still together. she was working. but look how excited she looks. >> well, of course! >> let's talk about william and kate. i can't believe it's been a year since that wedding. >> since 2 billion people watched this wedding. >> and a really successful year, i would say. >> no trouble, there's been no drama, there's been no scandals. they have a beautiful new little dog lupo. and they spent the anniversary -- >> i have lipo. >> they spent their anniversary

in the most perfect way, i think, together, alone, away from the public eyes and really -- >> that's a real love affair. >> a lot of celebs are renewing vows. mariah carey and nick cannon. >> yeah. after four years they went to -- >> a lot of people thought that would not last a week. >> four years, two babies. they went to paris and at the top of the eiffel tower they renewed their vows the day before they did a photo shoot where he got down on one knee and proposed again. so these two very much -- >> why do people do that after just four years? >> i used to think it was so great when heidi klum and seal did it. they did it every year and it didn't keep them together. i mean, i think the sentiment is right. but then it becomes about how are we going to top ourselves next year? >> i think they like recreating the moment and seeing these pictures out there. so maybe that's why they do it. eddie cibrian and his wife leann rimes, they've only been married a year and had a much more low-key -- they renewed this weekend, too. in california. they got down on one knee. still in love. >> all right.

thank you, rob shooter. >> springs eternal. >> thank you, rob. up next, we announce our fan of the week. >> and it could be you. but it probably isn't. >> right after this. with arthritis pain... a load of new listings... and two pills. after a morning of walk-ups, it's back to more pain, back to more pills. the evening showings bring more pain and more pills. sealing the deal... when, hang on... her doctor recommended aleve. it can relieve pain all day with fewer pills than tylenol. this is lois... who chose two aleve and fewer pills for a day free of pain. and get the all day pain relief of aleve in liquid gels. for a day free of pain. i'm going to have you first taste car insurance x. this company has been working to perfect this product for 75 years.

ah delicious. very nice. and moving on to y. it's only been around a couple years. yikes. yikes? yikes. so you chose geico over the competitor... you're not gonna... if you do let me know. no, i'm good.

♪ it is monday, and that means it is time to reveal our "fan of the week." >> and the lovely ms. sara is here to tell us where the lucky winner is going. >> yes, drum roll please. our winner this week is linda reekie from mulvane, kansas. who watches us on channel 3. she thinks you're a tv host match made in heaven. this is the one hour a day she must not be disturbed. >> that's so cute. >> her favorite part of the show is "today's talk." she enjoys the fourth hour so much she even wrote a poem about you guys and for you. "here's a toast of love from my heart to krurz. i'm truly your number one fan. you both i so adore. stay crazy, stay nutty, stay so fun. you bring smiles for so many by

the ton." so, thank you for that amazingly written poem. congratulations, linda. you are going -- >> i love this place! >> -- to destin, florida. >> it's gorgeous. >> for a threenight stay in the presidential suite at the henderson park inn. the trip includes daily breakfast and snacks, the use of beach chairs and bicycles, and round-trip airfare for two. hotel and airfare accommodations were provided by henderson parks inn. >> linda. >> have a great time. the sand is like sugar there. it's like the whole pensacola -- the coastline there. the handle area. gorgeous. >> love it. >> you'll have a ball. i notice there's no wine included so, bring a little money for that. >> if you think you should be our fan of the week go to klgandhoda.com. and maybe we'll pick you. still ahead, the 40-something best selling author jen lancaster faces her greatest challenge to date -- acting her age. plus, he lost half of his weight. wait until you see the newest inductee into the joy fit club. and unique and affordable gifts for mother's day.

♪ we're back on this fun day monday with more of "today" and one woman who at 40-something has come to the realization it is time to frickin' grow up. >> yes, the very funny best-selling author and blogger jen lancaster started her career with "bitter is the new black," and six books later she writes about her latest epiphany in the experiences that come with trying to grow up in a new book called "jeneration" with a j "x." look at you with your vino in hand. >> this was on her bucket list. >> some people want to climb mount everest. they want to go to israel. i just wanted to have a drink with you guys. now i can check that off. >> now you're having another one. this is the second. i say problem. the first was a dream. the second one's a problem, jen. >> i'm okay with that. >> you say it's time to grow up in this book. this is you sort of having an

epiphany in your book. why is it time? >> i am 40-something. i'm not afraid of my age. but i never had children, and i don't have a day job, per se, so there's no outside influence trying to make me grow up. so i found myself doing things like eating froot loops for dinner every night. and let me tell you this. at a certain age you can no longer process -- >> you eat them out of the box? >> oh, i have. >> i've done that. >> oh, yes, i have. but your g.i. system can't process it. so unless you want to spend the entire night on the toilet crying over your ring of fire, don't do it. don't do it. >> i've always thought that. yeah. but you said something to us in the break which is now you have -- success has brought you a grown-up thing called a mortgage. how is that changing your life? >> well, even though i do my best to be a grown-up now, i still end up screwing things up because my husband and i are these big adults now, we decided we were going to refinance because we're on top of these things. so we go to the bank to refinance. and i had been watching an internet girl fight before i went to refinance. >> of course you were.

>> so i threw on a bra that was too tight. so the entire time this man is trying to talk us through important financial documentation i kept thinking, this bra is going to kill me. and at one point i choked because it was so tight. and he looked at me and he said, are you okay? and i said, oh, i just choked on some spit. and then when we left -- they just -- he and my husband just looked at me and pretended that it didn't happen. so i get out into the car, i -- all i wanted to do was get the stupid bra off. >> get rid of it. >> threw it off. i looked at the bank and realized it was all glass and you can't see in. they can see out. just -- our refi has not come through yet. in case you're wondering. >> but you made a few friends. >> we made some friends. >> you still have a thing with barbies. how did that even come about? >> that's a little weird. >> it's a little odd. >> i know the barbie thing is weird, but years ago i ordered a barbie for my niece online. and you know when you go to amazon they always want you to order more of those things. that is me, that is the barbie head and those are my dogs. so i had taken a prescription sleeping pill for the first time

and apparently that lowers your inhibitions, and my inner child really wanted a barbie head, so the next day one shows up. i open it. i look in the box and there's a severed head and i had a heart attack because i thought someone was sending me a message. but it turned out it was just me ordering late night. >> you'd ordered it. >> i ordered it. i put it away, i thought i'm an adult, what am i going to do with a barbie head. the next morning i came downstairs and she had white lipstick on, she had her hair all poofed and she a scarf on and i thought, well, my inner child wants barbie to look like nancy sinatra. then i couldn't return it. >> okay. >> your book's full of these little anecdotes, full of funny bits about your life. we're so glad you came to see us, miss best-seller. >> thank you. it's full of lessons on how you, too, can become an adult because i have done the leg work for you. >> thanks, jen. up next, wait until you see him now, the latest inductee into the "joy fit club" who lost, believe this -- you have to believe it. it's honesty day. 201 pounds. >> joy says he's a hunk. septic system breakdowns affect over 1 million homes each year.

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♪ time for "look at me now "joy fit club."" the induction of its newest member. >> it's 31-year-old david johns from minneapolis, minnesota who lost 201 pounds. before we meet him, let's take a look at david's incredible story. >> i was a skinny kid, but once i reached puberty i started using food to repress my emotions. living as a super obese teenager and young adult i was merely a bystander to my own life. i never considered nutritional values. i would binge to the point of pain and then pass out from exhaustion. in 2009 at 420 pounds i could no longer breathe on my own while i slept and was outfitted with a sleep apnea machine. i suffered from high blood pressure, acid reflux and limited mobility. chairs, couches and toilet seats broke regularly under my weight.

i scheduled myself for gastric bypass surgery but canceled just two days before. i realized i would gain the weight back if i didn't resolve my emotional issues. a friend introduced me to the take shape for life program and i made a commitment to follow the program for 30 days. at the beginning i needed a big goal, so i decided sky diving would be my reward for losing enough weight to qualify. now, i have a completely fulfilling career as a health coach giving people the tools to be successful, and i am fully engaged and an active participants in my own life. >> doesn't he sound like the sweetest guy? before we ask david to come out, we're here with "today's" nutritionist, joy bauer, author of "today's" brand new book and best-selling author, "the joy fit club." >> this guy lost 201 pounds. just to show you visually this phenomenal feat, hello. 200 pounds of hams. >> that's like when oprah came

out with all that lard. >> i want you to know we're donating this afterwards to city harvest. is this unbelievable? he talks about how -- >> think if you had to carry around that much weight. >> i know. >> his most favorite things now that he can do that he couldn't do when he was carrying around all this extra weight, go to a regular clothing store, play around with his energized nephews. he can keep up with them now. go on any ride that he wants at an amusement park. he flew over here from minnesota to new york and did not need a seatbelt extender. and you need a drum roll for this. he skydives. he's a skydiver now. >> he's wacky. >> and he's gorgeous! gorgeous! >> let him prove it, okay? >> here's david's before photo one more time. all right, david, come join the "joy fit club." >> wow! >> i told you. >> are you kidding? >> wait. >> you are gorgeous! give hoda love! >> i can't even believe what's

happening here. i'm totally shocked. you are amazing. >> thank you. >> he's stunning and totally healthy. he's got no more health issues. >> you're totally hot. wow. >> wait a second. >> that is not the same person. i'm sorry! >> i know, night and day. >> did you get taller? >> you'd think, right? wait. the gastric bypass must have been a real a-ha moment. were you almost going to step in there and you decided to put the brakes on it. that must have been a big decision -- >> had i not made that decision i wouldn't be standing here today. i wouldn't be helping other people get healthy and knowing that they can do it. your decisions are just so paramount. i'm so happy to be here today. >> awesome story. >> we love having you on the show. >> what's the victory room? what's that? >> so i have a victory wall at home. it's sort of my thing was i knew i couldn't fail at this. i just couldn't bear losing weight only to gain it back like so many other people do. >> right. >> so i literally took a permanent marker to the staircase in my house and started tracking my weight with a goal. it was either going to be this

thing i told everyone there is that thing i didn't finish or it was going to be my victory wall. and today it's my victory wall. >> yay. i'm so happy for you, david. you look great. >> good luck for everything. >> you are a great inspiration to an awful lot of people. >> god bless. >> special, unique, and affordable gifts for mother's y.this. hey there. i'm meteorologist paul goode lowe with the weather channel, and we're tracking your forecast for the next several days. let's start off with later on today. still watching the risk of strong and severe thunderstorms across portions of the midwest including the twin cities area. some snow to the northern rockies and to the pacific northwest they're still watching some scattered showers and storms from st. louis into the ohio valley into the mid-atlantic. we'll take that rain, though. in terms of temperatures we are building this rain all the way toward the northern plains, upper 70s and low 80s. we're also getting records in atlanta. 89. very close to a record for your

tuesday. as we head toward wednesday we're still watching showers and thunderstorms moving across the western great lakes. and in the mid-atlantic. drying out across the south african plains and texas. and a few showers linger in the northern rockies and pacific northwest. what about the temperatures on wednesday? we're still unseasonably mild building across the ohio valley and trying to push into d.c. 80 degrees there. warming up in new york. thursday, more rain as we head well into may here, the beginning of may, into the pacific northwest. seattle a chilly 52 degrees. meanwhile, we're still watching some scattered showers over the great lakes. they push into the interior as we head toward friday. atlanta, if you hadn't reached 90 by friday, you'll see it by friday, and there's plenty of heat in phoenix. close to 90 in dallas. we head into the weekend. we're also still watching for rain showers here in the northern rockies and maybe still above 7,000 feet. otherwise, the warmth continues throughout the south. rain showers continue in the eastern great lakes. we head on toward your sunday. and we're still watching an unsettled intermountain west.

a still warm southern u.s. and southeast. and will rain showers end your week across the northeast? temperatures stay in the 60s. hey, in just a few hours you can wake up with al, with al roker and stephanie abrams. 6:00 to 10:00 -- or 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. every weekday on the weather channel. [ train whistle blows ] [ ball hitting paddle ] ♪ riding to work, with my best friend pete ♪ ♪ pete, pete, pete ♪ riding to work with my best friend pete ♪ ♪ riding to work with me [ orbit trumpet ] don't let food hang around. clean it up with orbit! ahh. [ orbit glint ] ow...ow...ow. fabulous! for a good clean feeling after any meal. ♪ eat, drink, chew orbit!

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♪ time for "happy mother's day today." we're less than two weeks away from the big celebration but what do you give the woman who's given you everything? >> here with some stylish gift suggestions is elaine griffin, contributing design editor for "better homes and gardens" magazine. >> hey. >> we love personalized things. >> we have a ton of them and that's why when you are thinking of gifts, number one, consider the recipient's personality and hobbies and also things that we have today if you order today,

we only have 13 days, you can get them in time. each website has different shipping times. so be sure to check out everything. >> i'm sort of loving the ipod's case. especially because of who's displayed. >> could you be partial to that? this is for the mom who always has her phone glued to her ear. it's a personalized iphone cover. you upload a picture to kodakgallery.com. it's $34. and look what you get back. >> it's so cute! >> these totes are nice here. >> this is fantastic. it's called the mother-child tote. the beauty of this is it, a, it holds a lot of stuff and then there is a little handle at the bottom for your little person to hold on to. >> isn't that cute? >> she can stay close to you, help carry things and it's $23. spoonsisters.com. >> i wonder if cassidy would do that with me now. >> okay. music lovers. look at this. >> these are called zip buds. you know how when you're getting your -- you want to bop out to tunes when you're working out but your wires get all

discombobulated. these are called zip buds. they're $19 at zipbuds.com. and they zip up in one little thing. >> are you kidding? >> yeah. they zip. >> genius. >> that would have been your favorite thing. >> yes! i love that. >> it stays like that in your gym bag. and also once you're wearing them. >> sold. thank you. what's next? >> look at you on your yoga mat. >> hello! >> i will give this to cass because she does love yoga. personalized yoga mats are the perfect gift for the yoga mom. downward facing dog in your life. they're $80 at yogamatic.com. >> all right. cool. >> you can do yoga with your puppies on them. >> exactly. and if you don't want a personalized one, they have a ton of other really great graphics that you can pick. >> personalized cards are always cool. these are cute. >> okay. this is for the mom that has everything and also grandmas. >> what a great idea. >> because you have way too much art that's sitting in folders or, you know, it's on the refrigerator. upload fantastic children's art.

to vistaprint.com. if it starts at $7.99 for flat cards, $10 for the little folded note cards. unique. >> very. >> adorable. >> these are my personal favorites. this is the monograms enamel bangle. they're at seawonder. which is online. they also have stores. >> jerry's probably got it so we can't steal it. those are beautiful! >> $48 each. you can wear one for every child, one for every outfit. stack them up. okay. for the glamour doll in your life, let's start with the monograms makeup bag. it's $20 at themonogrammeddivas.com. don't stop there. fill it. for our bag we filled it with something that feels great. this is elizabeth arden green tea and cherry blossom perfume. this is $40 for the perfume. the cream is $20.

it's luxurious. >> what is it? >> it is not a brush from outer space. it's a quick style brush from goodie. this is great. it's $12. as you brush you dry your hair! >> ten seconds. show us what's on the table. what's on the mannequins down here. >> love this. this is for the early mommy mornings. it's a wonderful cotton robe from plumprettysugar.com. they start at $65, tons of lengths. they also come in tunics. up next, don't sweat the small stuff. simple ways for moms to stress less and enjoy family more but first this is "today" on nbc.

♪ we are back with "today's moms." if you're feeling overwhelmed or maybe underappreciated, maybe it's time to be kinder and gentler to yourself. >> author christine carlton is

here with advice on getting through the day with her new book "don't sweat the small stuff for moms." it's the latest in the phenomenally popular "don't sweat the small stuff" series of books. great to see you. happy mother's day a little early. >> this is a terrific book for so many reasons but i was just saying i love the way it is sectioned off. so you can take a bite-size piece of something. as moms often women are very hard on themselves. they feel like they're not doing enough, not being enough, right? >> this book is just designed like all of the "don't sweat" books where you can read one short chapter at a time when you are waiting for your kids, when they're at gymnastics or you're waiting in the carpool line picking them up from school you can read these really quickly. >> what is the biggest take-away from your book for women? is it just that we look at our day and let all of it overwhelm us without thinking just one thing at a time and it will all work out? >> right. the biggest thing is just to realize that you do have a choice to be happy and bring peace into your life and that the book is packed full of really easy ways that women can

do that. like breathe before you speak. such a simple thing but imagine how much more responsive you are to life if you like take three breaths before you respond to your kids instead of just do these knee-jerk reactions. >> you say you don't have to be perfect. i think a lot of people think they have to -- >> don't we know that intellectually but we don't believe it. we know it but we don't believe it. >> i think as american women we're bred to be like live in these images of the superhero wonder woman or something. the truth is we're just human beings doing our best. i think when you hold yourself to an unattainable expectation it just creates stress in your life. >> when your kids have a problem, you don't want them to fall but you say you shouldn't totally scoop them up and prevent them from feeling any pain at all. right? >> that's resiliency. wouldn't you rather your child risk things when they're younger and they can come back and learn how to come back so that when they're adults they're not making those big mistakes for the first time. >> my dad used to say i love you too much to deny you the privilege of making mistakes. >> see?

and there's some wisdom that some of our generation has lost from previous generations. and that's a lot of it, is that we somehow think that we have to give our kids so much better than what we had. but you know what? we had it pretty good, a lot of us. >> that's what made you a strong person, is the fact that you weren't surrounded by stuff. stuff is never -- >> yeah. you address that in your book, too, right? giving your kids too much. >> giving your kids too much and also bringing your kids into your family budget and talk about money and things and cutting the fat out of what they don't need, sharing with them and having them be part of that discussion of this is need versus want. i talk a lot about those things because these are the things that i lived through with my family, having two grown daughters 20 and 23 and two grandkids. >> it's especially challenging for you because you lost your dear husband who had written the original books on this subject. >> yeah. >> very big shock to you and to your two children. >> it was shocking, and you knowu