captions paid for by nbc-universal television hey, everybody. it's fun day monday, it's may 14th. and we hope everybody had an awesome mother's day weekend. >> were you treated well on mother's day? >> sort of. sort of. had big, big weekend but yesterday of course is mother's day for everybody and cassidy gives me a lovely little michael kors bracelet. cody's still out in california. he's coming home today but i doubt he's bearing gifts.

that's okay. i looked over at frank and i go, well, where's my jewelry? where's my convertible? he goes you're not my mother. "you're not my mother." >> he's right. >> i laughed, so that was my present. i laughed. we went out for the auspicious occasion, finally, of our son graduating from college. >> unbelievable. >> there we were out at usc. he graduated -- i got to brag a tad. >> you say it. >> i'll just say it very softly. magna cum laude! >> cody, good job. >> i said it loudy because it's magna cum laude. i think he must have cheated the whole time. but there he's -- that is our friend mrs. pilloy. karen pilloy. >> is there a little party happening? >> she and her husband john took over the entire rooftop of the beautiful peninsula hotel in beverly hills, and we partied, and frank and i thought that we were going to be there maybe half an hour. you know, kids' party.

three hours later frank and i went home. ever since israel -- boom, yeah! no. frank says we can climb that mountain, we can do anything. but we had a wonderful time. you know, these three boys, kevin and mike and cody, roomed together in that place where sars started. honestly. their apartment, i swear, is where every horrible disease in life germinated. so anyway, those guys bonded together like crazy, though. i think they're going to be lifetime friends. >> people are probably at home going i can't believe cody gifford has graduated from college. it's amazing. >> he's going to stay one more semester and looks like he's going to do some graduate work. football. we'll see. he's going to do anything he possibly can except get a job. because that's the way they roll. how was your weekend? >> it was really nice. it was a nice mother's day. i had my mom, and you remember hanna was in. we have a little picture of us taking a carriage ride through the park. >> yeah. >> and my brother came, his wife too. anyway, we had a great, great, great mother's day. we had such fun in the park.

and on sunday jay and i decided to go to the yankees game. before we show the next picture, there's us at the game, but we went to the game on the d train. if you've ever been to new york, you can get on the subway at 59th street. you go to the bronx. it takes 15 minutes and you're right at yankee stadium. it costs $2.25 to get on the subway. great. you get out, we didn't have tickets because let me tell you why. we were clickety clacking online. stub hub. it says 12,000 tickets left. we check again. 825 tickets. i go we don't need to. ten minutes later. let's check one more time. zero tickets remaining. everyone bought all the tickets online. we won't it -- >> now you've got to scalp them. >> yeah. which is so fun. we got off the subway -- >> hoda, why don't you just steal them like you usually do? >> we get out of the subway, all those guys are going buy/sell, buy/sell. we said nothing. we walk in, a woman said i've got two in the nose bleeds, do you want them for 30 bucks? we saw them. we said let's -- we were getting picky. this couple came from behind us

named christina and joe. they said we have two tickets, why don't you just take them, we got them as gifts. we said, no, we can't, we have to pay you, at least the face value, which we did. but we were sitting with christina and joe. who live in upstate new york. >> oh, how nice of them. >> hey. >> they were so nice. anyway, we loved the tickets -- >> i didn't know you were a baseball fan. >> we're not. but it was a beautiful day. no. it was a gorgeous beautiful day. >> so you couldn't drag me to something that i'm not a fan of. >> really? >> well, first of all, i'm not a fan of graduations, i'll tell you that. 11 hours we were there. 11 hours. >> because? >> your kid's name called. that's it. and watch him walk across. 11 hours. >> what is going on? >> i don't know. >> speeches and -- >> speeches and talking and all kinds of stuff. >> well, how about this? there was -- there is another great graduation story other than cody's. there is -- >> lots of them. >> -- a janitor at columbia university. he worked at 52 years old as a janitor at columbia so he could

go to school for free at columbia. you know what he did at 52? he graduated over the weekend. >> god bless him. it's a wonderful story. >> it's a degree in the classics. it took him 12 years to do that. he balanced his classes with his job. after graduation he went back to work as a custodian. he wants to get more of an education. >> can you imagine? see, he's the exact opposite of what we have so much of in our country today, which is an attitude of entitlement. he didn't have an attitude of entitlement. he's so grateful to be in this country, have an opportunity to have a job and get an education. now he wants to go back to columbia and hopefully get a better job. he's still back in his custodian job. >> well, how about the kids at harvard and some of the other ivy league schools? they're talking about ways to lower the stress level at those universities. and one of the ways they came up with doing that is by bringing puppies into the campus to help students -- >> you can't have bambino, i'm sorry. he's my stress reliever. but i understand that. but if you had even suggested such a thing years ago, when we

didn't have things like wimp university, those kinds of things where kids actually went and got an education and worked hard. you know. i don't know. i have mixed emotions about it. >> dogs are soothing. it just does seem like there are times and places for those kind of things. they're even talking about having dogs there -- having pet-friendly dorms. >> well, they work for the elderly and people like that. it is great. we just heard a story this morning that made us crazy, which was this man who was a teacher at rutgers university. we won't say names. half of his students towards the very end of the semester said, we have a life, so we're not going to do -- we're not going to -- >> the final. >> no, we're not going to finish papers and things like that. >> we're busy and important. >> because we have a life. and fast-forward and think how that's going to work with a job that you have and an actual boss in life. just makes me crazy. >> me, too. >> that just fries my hiney. >> let's talk about something that will make us happy. the top baby names of 2011 are out, and this came from the

social security administration. >> don't they have something better to do? >> no. they track them. here are the top five boys' names. number 5 is noah. >> cute. very cute. >> number 4 jayden. 3 is william. >> that's always been around. >> 2 is mason. >> thank you, kardashians. >> and the only new name in the top 10 is -- >> no, it's not new. it's been number 1 for 13 years. >> then that was mason. can't read. jacob is number one. >> for 13 years. i was surprised by that. >> i was, too. >> top girls' names. number 5, ava. number 4, olivia. number 3, emma. everything's got an-a. two, isabella. and number one is sophia. >> brantley and briella had the biggest jump -- >> i've never heard of either one. >> briella is another reality show star from "jersey--licious." >> oh, my goodness. >> mace okay and briella. >> and once again you and i are not in the top 1,000 names.

>> i'm not in the top 100,000 names. i'm sure. >> in egypt, she's huge. huge. >> think about this. there is a woman who is expecting a baby. this came out of the social cues column in the sunday style section. and she announced to her whole office, hey, this is a very important time for me, i want to name this baby a very special name, it means a lot to my family, it's a family name, i'm going to name my child benjamin. and everyone was so excited and happy. >> not exactly a new name. >> but she chose it. >> been around since biblical times. >> her assistant came around soon after and announced that she was pregnant and she decided she was also going to name her baby benjamin. >> because she liked it so much when her boss said it. >> well, what would you do if that happened to you? >> the boss took umbrage. i think if it was brantley or briella or something unusual you might -- it's benjamin. so what? >> apparently, she talked to her and said it's sort of a little weird. you're taking the name that i chose in front of everyone and blah blah blah. the assistant thought she was being unreasonable, and she said i picked the name because i thought it was cute.

>> what do you think, hoda woman? >> i think it's a little weird. if someone came out and there's no real connect for the other girl to that name, she just thought it was cute when the woman said it. maybe there is a history of things we don't know. maybe these two have that thing. maybe she orders what the other one orders, maybe she wears what the other one wears. i don't know. >> so in other words these are people that shouldn't be having children because they're weird? shouldn't be breeding? is that what you're saying? speaking of breeding, why don't we also talk about breast-feeding? >> we have to. i know this was talked about last week, but we have a new kind of take on it. first of all, there's the picture. >> there's the picture we have all seen. >> it's a 3-year-old who is breast-feeding. >> i said if that was me breast-feeding he wouldn't need the little stool. wouldn't need it at all. could have saved some money on that picture. i don't think the controversy is that it's breastfeeding. it's that the little boy is 3. she herself was breastfed until she was 6 and one of our

producers pointed out she's only 26. she was breastfed so that's a 20-year gap now she has a 3-year-old. that's a 17-year-old gap when there was no breastfeeding going on. >> breast-fed or breast-feeding most of her life. >> maybe she just really missed it. i don't know. >> they had some fun with it on "snl." let's take a look at seth meyers. >> this week "time" magazine created a controversy with a cover story on attachment parenting that used this photo. which brings us to a segment we like to call -- "really?" really, what's with the camouflage pants? you do realize there's not enough camouflage in the world to hide from the blowback this kid is going to experience. also, i'm going to warn you now, kid, when you get older, i got a feeling your mom isn't going to like any of your girlfriends. really? and "time," don't get me wrong, i understand you have to do what it takes to sell magazines and it's a good cover. but if you wanted a great cover, you would have photo-shopped out the chair.

>> that's funny. >> that was really good. really good. there's a new viral video out there. and we know they're out there all the time. this one is a guy singing acoustically to the song -- the lmfao song we love so much here called "i'm sexy and i know it." anyway, he posted this thing and it went crazy. >> he's 18 years old. ♪ when i walk on the spot ♪ this is what i see ♪ everybody stands staring at me ♪ ♪ i got passion in my pants ♪ and i ain't afraid to show it, show it, show it ♪ ♪ ooh, i'm sexy and i know it ♪ oh ♪ yeah, i'm sexy and i know it >> hoda's all in as you can see. you know what? i wish the kid well. he's obviously got some talent, but i don't care that he's got a passion in his pants. >> a party. >> a party in his pants. he said passion. >> no. party. >> either one, i don't want to see it.

>> anyway. favorite things time. >> okay. all right. new music. this mary just gave it to me today. and it's cool. this is called lash control mascara. this is so cool because you know how your mascaras get really, really clumpy? you pull it out and it's normal. there's volumizing and there's also lengthening. but then you put it back in. >> right. >> and then you squeeze it and it gets all the excess goop off. winner. i shouldn't do that because look what happens to my arms. >> anyway. you ready? >> yeah. >> before she comes out, there is a great, great girl who i love named lauren brill. and i met her at a book signing. she and her sister came to a book signing. i was signing books. and she and her sister both were ill with cancer. they were both getting better. and she decided she was going to make it her business to put a terrific business together to make foods, sweets, chocolates and cookies and stuff that were healthy. so lauren, come on out! >> she's got her own company! sweet laurens.

>> it's called sweet laurens. look at this girl. >> you guys are awesome. >> i know you've been working on this company. and i know your goal was to go healthy. right? >> exactly. sweet laurens is an all-natural cookie dough and brownie batter company because the best sweets are warm and fresh out of the oven. so i started this because after overcoming cancer i was really conscious of the ingredients i want to put in my body. the purest, most natural, but delicious. >> this is great. let's try something else. >> i started making my own cookies and brownies. i found that they tasted better and were better for you. i just knew i had to start this company. and sweet lorens. >> it's sweet lorens. l-o-r-e-n-s. because there's a lot of laurens out there, the other kind. you can buy these frozen, pop them in the oven. i'm telling you, they are heaven. >> that's exactly it. the packaging is super convenient. the cookie dough is break and bake. break off one or two pieces,

bake one or two cookies at a time. super, easy to do, no fuss, no mess. the brownie actually already comes in a pan. >> i'll try the brownie. loren, who's better than you? all the best. >> good luck to your sister, too. okay? >> thank you guys so much. >> i hope we have some time for sara. >> you do. >> while are you eating your delicious things listen to this amazing band. i just saw them a couple weeks ago. called the lumineers. they're folk rock and they just released a self-entitled album, and it's one of those things can you put on play and listen to the whole thing. they write all their own music. they're amazing. and i got to see them live. they're even better live. they're so great. >> thank you, sara. >> up next, america's got talent. we've got judge howie mandel and host nick cannon to tell us all about it. >> they're breastfeeding. >> what are the big stories in tinseltown this weekend? we're going to catch you up on the latest buzz. but first these messages. so this is just a little something to thank you for all you do to help us mature. oh, no. no. no. i'm not falling for that again.

what? no, i... [ laughs ] no way. okay, so, i see. it's good to know. you put the snakes in this one, and this one probably just... [ laughing ] that was beautiful. oh, do you have a check there for "hilarious"? [ male announcer ] we take the time for our cheese to mature before we bake it into every delicious cracker. because at cheez-it, real cheese matters. before we bake it into every delicious cracker. we have product x and we have product y. we are going to start with product x. the only thing i'll let you know is that it is an, affordable product. oh, i like that. let's move on to product y, which is a far more expensive product. whoaaa. i don't care for that at all. yuck. you picked x and it was geico car insurance and y was the competitor. is that something you would pay for year after year?

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♪ let's rock 'n' roll. ♪ >> that's a nontalented person. >> what is it? >> that's just a taste of the wild and wacky "talent" competing for the $1 million prize on the new season of "america's got talent." that premieres tonight on nbc. >> it sure does. the anticipation for the season 7 is growing, and the stakes are even higher and more unpredictable. howie mandel is one of the show's judges and nick cannon, our friend, too, is the host. hello, boys. >> big premiere tonight. >> we're very excited. >> howard stern on board. that's been getting a lot of attention. >> huge attention. i think people are going to be pleasantly surprised at how passionate and how serious he is and how sensitive he is. you're going to see a whole other side to howard that you've never seen before. >> we saw some weird acts last year. and just by looking at those clips, they seem even weirder. so what's going on -- >> let's bring it out to people. >> i feel like it's a rock and

roll show now and you guys kind of just shows the wild and wacky. but the talent is also elevated as well. like there's people doing things i've never seen before. there's someone turning the whole theater into an instrument. >> that's what i like when you guys do. that you make it available to anybody. and it's not just musical. it can be anything. >> it is the last bastion of variety television. i think that's how television started. it's vaudeville. >> that's what ed sullivan was. >> that's what we are. we're ed sullivan. >> you're sullivan. >> i didn't know he was canadian. >> there you go. >> how's your life, nick? i know you weren't feeling great for a while. you're back in business. >> yeah. obviously, at the top of the year i had a few hurdles. but you know, my family was there to support me, and i'm 100% now. >> a couple of children. >> those babies are adorable. >> they're amazing! they're trying to walk now. rock and roe. >> you can always remember that. >> you guys were in paris celebrating up a storm. >> oh, him and his wife.

>> yeah. >> you go to paris every year and renew your vows. i know. >> we do. >> we had a great time in paris as well. keeping it fresh. >> can i just bring something up? i brought this up because this is backstage. i don't know if i'm causing a problem. you have wi-fi. this is the password? this is the password? it took me nine years -- that's the password to get online here. if you come here. i just wanted to text somebody. i had no time. >> memorize it. >> is that a security risk that i held that up? nobody's going to memorize that. >> we'll just change it again. >> that's crazy! >> when we look at a show like this, we wonder -- we've done all right in this business. we feel grateful but we wonder if we would have what it takes to actually be a contestant on "america's got talent." >> if you have what it takes? >> so will you guys judge kathie lee and me? >> he'll judge and i'll cheer you on. >> okay. >> we have sara first. we have our sara first. >> can we sit? >> oh, i almost kicked -- >> okay. this is sara. are you ready? >> whoa. >> watch, watch, watch.

>> wow. >> hold on. >> sara's got a good talent. >> let me get this straight, she is a dyslexic tap dancer. >> is it my turn? >> i didn't buzz that. >> i don't know what -- i don't know what this is. we're taking notes. 1 through 10? >> 1 through 10. >> hold on. >> are you ready? >> what do you do? >> watch me. >> i'm watching you. you're drinking wine from a crazy straw. >> she's playing drunk basketball. >> oh! >> well, the drinking's going well. the drinking is going well. >> one more. ♪ >> that was really good. >> that was good. >> shake what your mama gave you. >> oh, wow. >> you can't do without wine. >> oh! >> all right. so now you're going to pick the winner.

the winner is? >> keep going. >> she's still going. it's not done yet. just finish the wine. >> that's impressive. >> y're going to vegas! >> all three of you. >> you guys look like you are already in vegas. >> it's hard to pick a winner. i gave it a 7. i don't know out of what. combined. somebody got a 2. somebody got a 3. and another person got a 2. >> what happened to me, jerry? >> america's got talent. by the way. >> "america's got talent" premieres tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central on nbc. next, could it be you? we'll announce our fan of the week right after this. [ male announcer ] this is lois. the day starts 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. [ 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! for a good clean feeling after any meal. (sfx: car garage sounds) today my journey brings me to charlotte, north carolina, where i spent the day with geico driver casey mears. i told him the secret to saving money on car insurance. he told me the secret to his car setup. first he adjusts... first he adjusts... (sfx:engine revving drowns out gecko's dialogue) then he... then he... (sfx:loud drilling noise continues to drown out gecko's dialogue) ...and a quarter cup of pineapple juice.

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it is monday and that means it's time to reveal our "fan of the week." >> and the lovely sara is here to tell us who that lucky winner is and where she's headed. if she's a woman. >> she is. what a fan she is. our winner is sharon grigg from

keller, texas. who watches us on nbc channel 5. sharon likes ambush makeover and the cooking segments but most of all she loves the talk. even though sharon and her best friend sue lives miles apart, they talk about they're together when they tune in. they talk about how similar their personalities are to both of yours. from having a messy purse to sharing a good friday funny at the dinner table. when they're together enjoying a margarita and a nice batch of sammy's baklava tops their to-do list. congratulations, sharon, you are going to hershey, pennsylvania where you and i guest will enjoy a two-night stay at the hotel hershey. the trip includes $240 to spend. >> round trip airfare for two. >> everything! >> provided by hershey entertainment and resorts company. >> we'll be back after this. >> thanks so much. bye-bye.

we're back on this fun day monday with "today's buzz" and all the celebrity news you may have missed while enjoying your

mother's day weekend. >> from jessica simpson's post-baby pay to ashton kutcher's new movie role, we have all the scoop. >> hello. >> all right. so she finally had that baby. >> you know sometimes there is a little payday for that. >> jessica simpson's post-baby payday is going to be about $4.8 million. >> what? >> here's the thing. she's getting a kind of low ball figure for the baby pictures. it's estimated to be $800,000. but where she's making her money is an estimated $3 million to $4 million deal with weight watchers which is how she is going to lose the post-baby weight. >> i want to go back in time to have my kids all over again. that was just flat free for anybody. nobody did it back then. >> you could monetize that. although it's different now. because there isn't as much money for the baby pictures anymore. now that everybody tweets their own pictures -- >> but sure would be awfully nice to give some of that money to charity. wouldn't it? that would be lovely. children's charity perhaps. >> so the houston family has i guess announced that they are going to do a reality show, whitney's daughter and some other family members?

>> "houston family chronicles." >> "the houston family chronicles." it's going to be on lifetime. cissy houston, whitney's mother, says the reason they are doing it is they want to help jump-start bobby kristina's career. she's had sort of a troubled time both before and after her mother's death. they'll have a lot of family members in it, cousins, dionne warwick. although, you know, given what happened with whitney, given what happened with bobby brown, it's making people uncomfortable. >> why would you want to encourage her to go into the very business that was so painful and damaging for her mom? i don't know. i wish him all the best but i think it -- i'd drag my kid away from it for a little while. >> bobby brown isn't going to be on it. he's already said i think this is a bad idea. >> oh, wow. >> wisdom from bobby brown. things aren't going crazy in this world! that's great. >> willow smith. this is kind of interesting. i guess her mom interviewed her for "the huffington post." and before we talk about -- it's really her take, a little girl's take on fame. but let's watch the clip first.

>> let me ask you something, willow. if there was one thing you could change about your life, what would it be? >> if i could change one thing about my life, it would probably be i wouldn't be famous. >> really? why? >> because when you're famous it's so hard. >> okay. >> that's all kids want to be anymore is famous. >> what did you make of that? >> willow's had a stylist since she was 9 years old. she's 11 now. this is sort of all she knows. she's always been on red carpets her whole life. and it was sort of a surprisingly candid moment that she said i don't know if i actually want this. but she did point out afterwards, startlingly ma chur mature, she said i don't have to be famous if i don't want to be. she says i could stop. she says there are good things about it, too. but the moment of this little girl who hasn't had not

necessarily that much choice in the matter. i don't know. it was kind of powerful. >> ashton kutcher. >> he just signed again for "two and a half men." i guess he got a nice big raise. it was a successful season. >> tenth season is coming up. they just renewed it. he gets over $700,000 per episode, or as we call it one jessica simpson baby debut. lovely. >> wow. >> and in addition, he has just started filming on a steve jobs biopic. >> we were talking about it when he was first cast. but look how much he looks like him there. >> that's uncanny. >> if you went to the movies this weekend, chances are you you went to "the avengers." numbers are insane. >> over $1 billion in 19 days? >> that is the same pace as like "avatar" and "harry potter." it's going to -- it has already -- it's going to be "transformers: dark side of the moon" really soon. $103 million in just domestically this weekend. it's just destroying everything. >> am i the only person who

doesn't -- i'm not interested. i'm the only one, i guess. they don't make them for me, that's for sure. >> what happened to "the dictator"? we saw a lot of press for that movie. >> nothing did that well other than "avengers." "dark shadow" premiered. it was a bit of a disappoint. "dictator" was just way down on the list. >> thanks, maureen. >> nice to see you. >> we love your hair today. >> yes, gorgeous! up next, we'll catch up with ted williams. remember him? the once-homeless man with the golden voice who became an overnight sensation. >> we're going to find out whaes up to right after this. living with limited mobility. what do you do when you can no longer get around like you used to? when you fear losing your independence? who do you call? call hoveround now, to see if you qualify for america's premier power chair. hi, i'm tom kruse, inventor and founder of hoveround. now you can do more, see more, enjoy life more. here's why hoveround makes it easier than any other power chair. hoveround is more maneuverable to get you through the tightest doors and hallways. more reliable. hoveround employees build your chair, deliver your chair, and will service your chair for as long as you own your chair.

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when someone gives blood and a life is saved, that moment when heartbreak turns to hope, you're there through the american red cross. every day, the red cross responds to nearly 200 neighborhood emergencies. and your support makes it possible. use this moment to join us today. visit redcross.org. every once in a while an inspiring story comes along that resonates with people of all walks of life, like the one of ted williams. a little over a year ago he was a homeless drug addict living on the streets of columbus, ohio. that's when a local reporter saw him panhandling and posted this youtube video. >> ted's life changed dramatically. and now he's written about his life in a new book called "a golden voice." and it's so nice to see you again. >> hi. how are you both? >> it's been a little over a

year. since he was with us before. >> yes, ma'am. >> a lot's happened. fill us in. >> a lot of things happened. i'm currently working for the new england cable news network, necn. i still have an ongoing relationship with kraft macaroni and cheese. >> of course you do! >> and the book. and then i have a website, tedthegoldenvoice.com where i'm doing personalized voicemails. >> but tell us what happened yesterday on mother's day. >> i went out with my mother for the first time in over 25 years. i hadn't even given her a card in those many years. and yesterday we went to church. we had a church service and we went to dinner. >> well, last we saw you and your mom it was here on the show when you guys reunited. >> yes, ma'am. >> what happened in that time period since? like how was the relationship between you and your mom during that time period? >> well, there have been a few things happened. i left rehab early and i relapsed and everything. and the last thing that matt brought out earlier, he said that your mother said "don't disappoint me."

and i felt like at that point i disappointed her because now they're talking about i got arrested in los angeles for an altercation with my daughter during the taping of the "dr. phil" show. you know. >> lots of things. >> yeah. management was -- >> but you've been sober now eight months now? >> no, actually a year. may 4th i celebrated a year. >> that's fantastic. >> yes, ma'am. >> how has that been? i know it's a struggle for a lot of people. >> you know, the desires and the obsessive desires and all of that has pretty much gone away, but it's still a one day at a time. one day at a time. >> your girlfriend kathy's been through this so much with you. you guys used to use together. you've had a very, very traumatic relationship through the years. she's clean now, too. >> yes, she is and she's cooking. you know. and doing things -- shrunk my throwback jersey and all those things. >> what about your son? >> my son's living with me now and god has blessed me to be able to be in a position to help him and his family. they're going through a little transition period as well, and so he's home with me. that's where kathy is right now. she's home with the kids. >> i just love saying "she's home." because you didn't have a home.

>> i didn't have a home. exactly. and she has a car, too. now she has her driver's license. i don't have my driver's license yet. but pretty soon. >> you've got to have something to look forward to. >> exactly. >> you got everything else in the last two years. >> you're inspiring. your book is, too. ted, thanks for coming to see us. >> we wish you success. we really do. >> i love you both. the best ladies on "today." >> there you go. >> wait. say that again. >> you're watching the best ladies on "today." i love it. >> how about the world -- never mind. >> coming up next, someone else who made a drastic change. wait until you meet the latest inductee into the "joy fit club." right after this. i'm meteorologist kim cunningham with your seven-day forecast. starting out with today's forecast of rain up and down the eastern seaboard. a little bit heavier for the northeast. across the southeast still the chance of rain. clearing out, though, atlanta over toward birmingham. south texas getting some good rain over the next couple of days. chicago warm ahead of the next little disturbance coming through. west coast looks absolutely

beautiful. temperatures very warm. watch the fire danger, too, in some of these areas. pacific northwest seeing temperatures way above the average. into the 80s. so that's where the ridge is, over the west. meaning warmer temperatures. the trough in the east giving way to some very warm temperatures. now chicago 81 degrees. atlanta 79. the cooler air in the northeast because of the rain. but still, mid 60s, not far from average. all right. there's the east coast with more rain on wednesday. that's the story over the next couple of days. temperatures again not bad. 65 in chicago. we're talking 87 in dallas. so the story for a lot of us back to at least average if not above average temperatures. thursday very quiet weather day. sunshine returning to the northeast. enjoy it, new york city and boston. even friday looks absolutely beautiful. look at all these 80s all the way to the canadian border. our jet stream is way up to the north. our next front moves in. but it's across the northern states. that's where we'll see those temperatures in the 70s. in minneapolis with some thunderstorms. maybe a few isolated severe

storms. i'll tell you what, shaping up to be an absolutely gorgeous weekend. great baseball weekend. check it out. lots of sunshine. boston, atlanta, houston. the northwest still very nice temperatures. with temperatures into the low 70s. here's sunday's forecast. that front not moving very quickly. thunderstorms spreading down to the central plains. 86 in louisville. all right. make sure when you wake up tomorrow morning you check in with "wake one al" with stephanie as well, 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. weekdays. my journey across america, i found new ways to tell people about saving money. this is bobby. say hello bobby. hello bobby. do you know you could save hundreds on car insurance over the phone, online or at your local geico office? tell us bobby, what would you do with all those savings? hire a better ventriloquist. your lips are moving.

geico®. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. huge news! [ giggles ] all band-aid® bandages just got better. yay! and still protect from dirt and germs. [ female announcer ] band-aid® brand has new quiltvent™ technology with air channels to let boo boos breathe. only from band-aid® brand.

♪ time for joy in my life time for look at me now the "joy fit club." and the induction of its newest member. >> gabby rose is a 45-year-old weight loss counselor from pembroke pines, florida who lost 168 pounds. but before we meet her let's take a look at her incredible story.

>> hi, i'm gabby, and i'm 45 years old and a mom of four. my battle with obesity began in my mid 20s after i met my husband. by the time i had my last child i probably lost and gained over 500 pounds in a span of 13 years. i've struggled with rosacea, severe migraines, hip and back pain, but the worst part was my asthma getting out of control. not only was my health suffering, but my relationship with my husband was in jeopardy, too. i was driving home from a friend's house one night with my four little kids in the car. i felt severe pressure in my chest and an asthma attack coming on. i thought i was about to take my very last breath. i was only 38 years old and i weighed 298 pounds. a few days later my husband downloaded a photo of me on the computer. i stared at that picture and thought, wow. who is that? i knew at that moment i had to make a change. i started to educate myself on calories, reading labels and eating right. i also began exercising on a daily basis.

i've lost 168 pounds and not only saved my life but the life of my husband and family. my husband lost 70 pounds and my daughter 50. i have been married almost 20 years and i have never felt better. >> before we ask gabby to come out, we're here with "today's" nutritionist joy bauer who is going to tell us more about some of the details of what she was doing all wrong. >> we picked the perfect woman to celebrate the day after mother's day. she not only transformed her life, she transformed her entire family's. her husband is down over 60 pounds. her 13-year-old daughter is down 50 pounds and has a whole new life. >> that's fantastic. >> so this is what she was eating? >> i wanted to give you sort of a sneak peek into the family's dinners beforehand, and then what they're eating now. first pizzas with the works. and they would literally order -- she has four kids. for her and her husband. four pies. the crust is stuffed with cheese. and of course there's pepperoni and sausage. each pie is over 4,000 calories. >> what?

>> each pie over 4,000 calories. >> if you eat 1/4 of it you're going to get 1,000? that's two slices? >> this is her special baked ziti dish. alfredo sauce. fatty meat. a stick of butter! refined sugar. i'm sure it tastes good as well. but now what they do, these are single-serving portions now. when she craves a pasta she's doing turkey meatballs over whole wheat spaghetti and a salad. and i love that they do these personal pizzas. they talk a whole wheat pita bread, each gets their own and they top it with whatever they like. lots of vegetables, reduced fat cheese. 200 calories. this is really great. lots and lots of water with all sorts of, you know, fresh fruit or cucumber slices. and she's going to knock your socks off. she's a different woman. >> let's look at gabby's before picture, you guys. all right, gaby, come join the "joy fit club." >> oh, my gosh! >> wow! gabby, you look awesome. >> i saw that dress hanging downstairs. >> how long did it take gaby to

take all the weight off? >> a year and a half. 18 months. >> wow. tell us the a-ha moment. what made you decide it was time? >> well, i had a near-death experience with my kids in the car. and thinking you're going to take your last breath at the age of 38 was enough reason to change my life. >> this weight is off for good. >> you look awesome. >> and now you're a fitness trainer, did you say? you're a counselor? >> no, i created the get fit with gabby rose program, and i help thousands of people lose weight and through our medical office. >> good for you. >> congratulations, sweetie. >> this woman knows her stuff. >> amazing. >> we're happy for you. >> congratulations. happy mother's day to you. >> thank you. up next, something gabby can enjoy with pride -- the best shorts for the season. this is "today" on nbc.

♪ we wear short shorts time for "today's style" and the perfect shorts for summer. they are making a big comeback, on the weekends, on the town and even at work. >> "in style" magazine searched high and low for the best shorts just in time for summer. and here with the winners is the magazine's fashion features editor, isabel gonzalez whitaker. nice to see you again. >> thank you. >> shorts are on trend, huh?

>> shorts are very on trend. and what we love about the idea of shorts is you can substitute a mini skirt for a short and it's more comfortable or as comfortable and it still projects polish. it's an easy relaxed look but because of the flowy fabrics or the nice detailing and embellishment it really dresses them up now. >> let's start with the best high-waisted floral short. we have lauren coming out. tell us about those. >> is that not a beautiful look? that's a great short that's got a beautiful feminine print. and what's really nice about this is that it really projects polish. again, this is a short that could very well be a miniskirt but really you've got the comfort of the short, it's a short length, very flattering to legs and -- >> well, look at her legs! >> i know. she's got great legs. and great for special occasions. lauren is about to get married and it's good for a bridal shower. >> thank you. >> next we have the best piping short. jennifer's got those on. >> what we love about these shorts is that they've got this tuxedo-inspired piping so it immediately dresses them up. it creates some visual interest.

you don't have to go overboard with accessories because there's already a lot going on there. >> sure. i'm just surprised that kids are wearing heels with that sort of a look. that's unusual to me. >> well, you can go either way. you could certainly wear it flat but for night you can definitely wear a heel. and you know, the key too with a short short, if you don't want to feel overexposed, make sure it covers and extends beyond the widest part of your thigh. >> okay. i'll be sure to remember that. thank you. >> next up we have chloe, and she's wearing an evening short. >> those are darling. >> aren't those adorable? >> yeah. >> basically you are applying the same filter for a little black dress to a little black short. so you're going to look for a black short that has some special detailing. this has some sheer panelling but you can also do lace. you can do sequins. it really elevates the look. >> and you would really wear it out for the evening? >> you would absolutely wear this to a cocktail party. and of course we dressed it up even more with a sequined jacket and some great pumps. >> wow. she looks fantastic. thanks, hon. >> siobhan is out to show us the best pastel short. >> we love the color of these

shorts. it's a bold pastel, so it really stands out as vibrant, but it's not so bold that it's going to just detract from the rest of the look. it plays really well with neutrals. and we love the idea that this is a trouser cut. this has got cuffs. so again, it projects polish but as you can see it's a relaxed cut. >> sure. >> okay. great. >> thank you so much. >> finally, we have diane. she's showing off of course a classic bermuda short. >> that's cute. >> we love the bermuda short. they're defined really by hitting just above the knee, maybe a little bit higher. but what's great is that these are so figure flattering if they're tapered. you never want a short that's too snug. you don't want, you know -- >> or too big. >> or too big. the tapered really elongates the leg. just don't wear these with sneakers or they're going to think you're on the golf course. >> thank you, everybody. ladies, you look lovely. >> great. all right. tomorrow, you guys, we have the one, the only betty white with us. >> is that a reason to get up in the morning? right there. plus, penny-wise wedding ideas for all you brides out there. >> oh. we have a bride right here. >> i think wve