we're back with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, 29th day of september 2009, and you know, it is fall officially, so why not have some fall-like temperatures here in the northeast? and we've got justhat this morning and some nice people stopping by to share those temperatures with us. i'm matt lauer along with al roker and natalie morales out on the plaza. and coming up, we're going to talk about something that every american has to be interested in. >> that's right. a report just out yesterday said that the social security service will be in the red for the next two years. well, aside from it going broke, most americans don't fully understand the system. we'll tell you when you should start collecting depending on your circumstance, how it affects your taxes and what the odds are that social security will finally just run dry and just go away. >> not good news. >> something we all have to think about. also, jobs, kids, partners. you know, life gets really busy. seems like your circle of friends actually starts to dwindle as you get older. you focus more on career and

family, but -- ♪ you've got to have friends as the song goes. >> you should commit to it natalie, if you're going to sing. >> go ahead, al. >> no, no, i don't sing. >> needless to say, you have to commit to making friends and we'll show you how to make friends, especially in your 40s and older. you're going to need that group of women. also ahead, we have been looking forward to this, the oscars -- >> yes! >> -- in the cosmetic world. "allure" magazine has come out with its list of the best beauty products from your hair to your nails. some of them cost less than $5. we're going to fill you in on that. and don't forget, we are looking for the next great young reporter. that's right. if you know a young person, a young person between the ages of 8 and 12 with a big personality capable one day of being a matt or a natalie, we want to know about him or her. >> or an al. >> if they want to be an al, please don't have them apply. >> don't. first have them shave their head and gain 100 pounds. have them send a tape show

casing their on-camera talent. we'll be taking entries through october 7th. >> you know that joke doesn't work anymore. not even close. not even close. >> the video submissions should be no longer than a minute and should be mailed to -- >> 30 rockefeller plaza, new york, new york, 10012. the official rules posted on todayshow.com. >> like a well-oiled machine. let's go inside. ann's got a look at the headlines. >> okay, matt, thanks so much. good morning, once again, everybody. in the news, president obama begins high-level meetings today about whether to deepen u.s. involvement in afghanistan. he is meeting with defense secretary robert gates and the nato secretary-general who said monday that things have to change for the u.s. and its allies to win the war. the president's top commander in afghanistan has warned of failure being likely unless thousands more troops are deployed. meantime, this morning amid the rising violence in afghanistan, a bus packed with civilians hit a roadside bomb near kandahar, killing at least 30 people and wounding nearly 40 others. this morning, a senior official in iran said his

country will not abandon its nuclear activities, even for a second. the official also said iran will not discuss its newly disclosed enrichment plant at talks with the united states and other world powers on thursday in gene geneva. there is a court appearance today for the terror suspect charged with plotting a chemical bomb attack on new york city. najibullah zazi, an airport shuttle bus driver from denver, was denied -- has denied, rather, any wrong doing. officials reportedly have the names of three other people involved in the alleged plot. health care reform goes back before the senate finance committee today. the panel is expected to debate a government insurance option for the middle class. two u.s. troops were killed this morning by a land mine in the southern philippines. local officials say the attack was carried out by suspected al qaeda linked militants. disaster officials in the philippines are appealing for international aid to help survivors of this week's record flooding there. the death toll has soared to at

least 246 people. more than 300,000 people are living in evacuation centers. chaos monday in southern india, where an elephant went on a rampage during a ceremonial procession. the animal apparently became frightened when loud bells began to ring. at least six people were hurt. now here's brian williams with what's coming up tonight on nbc "nightly news." hey, brian. >> hey, ann, thanks. coming up tonight, talking on cell phones at the wheel is almost nothing anymore. how about using laptops or texting while behind the wheel? the number of accidents is on the rise, so a lot of steps are coming to stop distracted drivers. we'll have that tonight on nbc "nightly news." we'll look for you then, ann. for now, back to you. >> all right, brian, thanks so much. four minutes past the hour. let's get another check of the weather from al. >> all right, thanks a lot, ann. as we check out what's going on on the satellite, you can see not much happening. we've got showers moving into the pacific northwest, wet weather moving in through new england and some rain where it's needed down in texas.

but otherwise, we have got windy conditions around the great lakes, showers move into the pacific northwest. that storm system is going to be a potent storm-maker as >> expecting partly cloudy skies, a local high of 67 degrees. westerly winds at 15 to 20 miles per hour. 68 and now, "today's money." social security. it's a concern so many americans have. well, latest issue of "money" magazine tackles everything from the best time to collect social security to when it really runs

out. janice rovell is "money's" senior write. janice, great to see you. >> good to be here. >> so, we just had a report out the other day that at least for the next two years, social security's going to be in the red. what does that mean going forward? >> it's going to be in the red for the next couple of years, but i think the important thing to keep in mind is the longer term perspective. there's a tremendous amount of fear out there that social security will not be there in 10 years, 20 years. the name for it now is social insecurity. >> right. >> and the problem is, of course, you've got 70 million boomers, all retiring, and the fear is that they're going to drain the system. there will be nothing left for any of us. the truth of the matter is, the social security system is not going broke. it is in far better shape, really, than you probably expect. >> then why do we have this -- why are we so concerned? i know you're talking about the baby boomers and you've got huge job losses, so there are fewer people putting into the social security system. >> right. >> so, what makes it so safe? >> i think -- well, what makes it safe is if you look at the numbers, the actual numbers -- if the government did absolutely

nothing and just said you're on your own, people, for the next 30 years there would be enough money in the system to pay full benefits. even after that, there would be enough money for decades and decades to pay a very high level of benefits. so, the first thing is that the government has a lot of time to fix this problem. the problem -- the fix will probably involve some kind of minor payroll increase and some kind of taxation of benefits, nothing draconian, though, and the important thing, al, is that we've been down this road before. when ronald reagan was president, there was a huge crisis similar to what we have now. it was fixed. it's not the disaster -- i mean, medicare, if we want to talk about medicare, that's a different -- >> a different deal. >> and i think what happens is people combine medicare with social security and they think, oh, medicare is in horrible shape, people should be worried about it, and they kind of transfer that anxiety over to social security. >> all right. so, you're talking about benefits. so, how is it determined, you know, how much you're going to get every month? >> right. it's determined on how much money you made while you were working and how long you worked.

and so, basically, the more you made while you were working, the more you'll collect because the more you paid into the system. a general rule of thumb is that if you are an average income worker, you can expect social security to pay you about 50% -- >> as we see on this graphic, the longer you wait, the more you're going to collect. >> right. it will pay you about 50% of what you were making when you were working. the way it works is when you hit your mid-60s, you're entitled to get a full benefit. and if you want to, you can start collecting as early as age 62, but if you do that, there's a huge catch -- the government is going to penalize you. >> how? >> they're going to reduce your benefit by about 25% from what it would otherwise be. and you have to take that reduced benefit for the rest of your life. >> so, if you do it -- >> it's a big hit. so, yeah. >> what about married couples? >> married couples, the rules are a little bit different. there is a nice feature in there. if you have one spouse who makes a lot more than the other spouse, the lower paying spouse can collect either her full social security benefit or half

of the higher paying spouse, which in many cases makes it worth her while to switch over. if one spouse passes away, the surviving spouse can collect his or her benefit if it's higher, again. >> can you collect early and keep working? >> yes, absolutely, you can, and i think this is one of the areas that probably has the most misinformation out there, and it's a very dangerous area to -- if you're making decisions based on it. if you start collecting social security at age 62 and you keep working, the government is going to basically ding you on your social security benefits while you're working, okay? they're going to reduce them. if your income's over a certain level, and that's $14,000. but you don't lose those benefits forever. once you hit age 66 or 67, the government's going to give you back what you lost. >> oh. >> and what people think is, oh, i'm losing those benefits forever. therefore, i'm not going to work -- >> so, they're just delayed. >> they're just delaying it. so, you're no worse off continuing to work.

in fact, in many cases, you're better off continuing to work. so, the bottom line is, if you're 62, you want to keep working. just don't even think about social security and how that might affect you, because it's really not something that should factor into your decision. >> then what about taxes? how does that affect your benefits? >> yeah, taxes. well, going back to the reagan administration, the social security trust fund was in trouble when they decided, okay, well, let's start taxing benefits on the wealthy. and that over the years has kind of morphed into taxing more and more and more people, and it is one of the reasons why the system is actually not in bad shape these days. and so, essentially, if you're making, rule of thumb, about $20,000 a year in other income outside of social security, your benefits are going to get taxed. >> got you. >> and as time goes by, taxation will be more and more of an issue. >> any way to avoid those taxes? >> you can put money into a roth i.r.a. so if you have a regular i.r.a. or a 401(k) at work and you can switch over to the roth, that's

a good way to do because you'll never be taxed. >> thank you very much. a lot of good advice. appreciate it. still to come, how to lose weight "biggest loser" style with healthy food swaps. you'll be surprised at what you can eat. but up next, how to develop new friendships and why it's so important to connect with old ones, right after these messages. fact: your child could pick up the flu virus, even h1n1, from surfaces. but, lysol disinfectant spray has the power to stop the spread of cold & flu viruses. it's approved to kill more germs than any other brand. it even kills h1n1. lysol is the number one brand recommended by pediatricians. lysol. disinfectant to protect. also use lysol disinfecting wipes to kill flu viruses.

bottom. needs work. sorry, son. [ female announcer ] you can't pass inspection with pieces left behind. it's soft and more durable. so you're left with a more dependable clean. fewer pieces left behind. new charmin ultra strong. ♪ there's only one word for this ♪ ♪ it's bliss ♪ only one word describes chocolate this creamy, this rich, this indulgent. bliss. hershey's bliss chocolate. it's not just chocolate. it's bliss. men don't merge. the woman will sit there and wait. this is what men do. you see where i am over here? and, ka-blam, and then we're all an hour late. depend brand. for women and men. don't get the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin d? that's where their favorite cereals like trix and lucky charms can help. general mills big g is the only leading line of kid cereals that has both calcium and vitamin d in every box.

check for this banner on the cereals they already love... like cinnamon toast crunch and cocoa puffs. help them get more of what they need with general mills kid cereals. [ air whooshes ] ♪ ♪ i promise to think of myself as a beautiful person. [ applause ] ♪

the lotion with a unique formula - effective 24 hours a day lightweight and fast absorbing. turn dry skin into skin that feels great all day. with smoothing essentials. only from eucerin. we all try to get by with a little help from our friends, but as we get older, it becomes more difficult to keep the ones we've had and even harder to make new friends. so, we took to the streets of new york to find out why. >> i find it harder to have that deep connection nowadays. >> you're so focused on family and work and all the other things in life. >> everyone has different

lifestyle choices and going in different directions. >> you're right, my husband is my best friend. >> they are always with their kids or they are working on something else. you know, we all have our own separate lives. >> and "redbook" magazine also has taken a look at this issue. stacy morrison is the editor and chief and robi ludwig is a psychotherapist. good morning. >> good morning. >> good to have you here. so, we all get pulled in different directions, we heard that woman say. is that the reason, stacy, why we're not making more of an effort to reach out to our friends? >> life gets in the way and it's easy to stay on your to-do list and that's what friends help you do, stay attached to that part of yourself that's just for you. >> why is it important, robi, to have a group of women that we can turn to? >> we find, first of all, that when women are connected, it stimulates the feel-good part of their brain. we need somebody that we can really share and be ourselves with, someone to share the highs, the lows. it's a wonderful way to connect

to the community and to share information. and as women, we handle stress by being -- by tending to our children and depending on our friends. so, there are a whole host of reasons why it's just healthy for us. >> and having a spouse or a partner, you're not -- >> it's wonderful. >> --fully going to have the same connection with your friends. >> but you need the same convention because you're in life in a similar way, so it feels different. >> stacy, if you've lost touch with friends over the years, do you recommend then reaching out,ing back on facebook, trying to make contact once again? >> absolutely. you need both kinds of friends. friends in the day-to-day life, but friends from the past keep you connected to the larger story line of your life. makes you feel grounded, like your life has meaning. there are people who knew who you were when you were just starting out. >> sometimes you've moved on beyond that life, though -- >> it's true. >> and it may be harder to get that connection back, right? >> but there's always a handful of people who you always have a spark with. i know for me on facebook, i've made great connections.

>> and to be friends, not everybody has to be an intimate in your daily life. you can have the childhood friends who maybe you wouldn't choose today, but they keep a certain part of your past alive and you keep them there in that category. i think if we put friends in different categories, we can have lots of different friends, and also, i think when you're a busy working woman and you have a family, understanding that time gets experienced differently. >> right. >> so, you may not see friends as often, but it doesn't mean that it's not a good friendship. >> i think what many of us struggle with is, of course, having that balance. >> right. >> you want to spend the family time, spend the time you need to with your kids. so it's hard to carve out extra time for friends. so, how do you do that? >> you just have to. because at "redbook," we say time for you is the holy grail. time for you makes you a better wife, a better mom and yes, a better friend. and your friends feed that sense that you have to take a break, you have to laugh. you have to have a space where you're not somebody else -- >> it's healthy. >> and joyful.

>> there is no balance, so you just have to do it. and i completely agree with you, stacy, that when you connect with the right friends, it helps you to be a better wife, a better mother. because you're kind of hearing that you're not in the world alone. >> right. >> that what you're going through is somewhat universal, and that's really nice. >> so, for women over 40, or younger or even a little bit older, how do you start making that connection? you had some tips, and first, you all say is to join hobby-related groups, which is a great thing, right? >> right. >> women who have common interests. >> and it's good for you both as an individual and for making new connections to people. whether it's suddenly that you decide you want to run a 5k or you want to get back and brush up your college french. >> right. >> those are great ways to make new friends. >> i've been doing that, biking with a girlfriend of mine -- >> absolutely. >> and running. and it's a way to stay in great shape. >> very efficient. many things at once. >> we motivate each other. and next, get involved with neighborhood activities. my neighbors are my best friends. our kids play together, and -- >> you can join the pta. you can start sort of a block party association. >> right. >> it's such a fun thing in the

summer. have everyone come out. there are ways -- >> volunteer in sports. and also, you keep abreast of what's going on in the community. you can contribute and be a part of things in a completely different way while meeting like-minded people. >> right. >> but i also think the internet, this is where the internet and social net working is terrific. >> you can find everyone these days. >> you can find everyone. you can feel that sense of connection and you can find common interest groups if you're looking for it. >> also, you say make the first move, stacy. >> well, there are people in the flow of your life, whether the moms you see at the playground every single saturday or people who are on your train commute or your bus commute. it's pretty easy just to reach out and say hi and start a conversation. you might find a spark of friendship there. you might not. >> or your kids are playing together and you find that connection right there. >> i think kids can really open up your world. >> it breaks the ice. >> it is the hook. >> exactly. >> and finally, don't come on too strong. >> right. >> don't be the person who is doing the solicitation too much so, right? >> right. and you don't want to be just, oh, my gosh, you love pat conroy

novels? so do i. let's get together saturday. let it grow overtime. >> but sometimes that works for people, so be yourself and let people know that you have a space and you're looking for new people in your life. and i think people tend to be flattered by that. >> absolutely. >> absolutely. >> well, great talking to my friends here, stacy morrison and robi ludwig. thank you very much. appreciate it. >> thank you. from friendships to relationships, why sex might be better with your socks on, yes, and other surprising facts that may be music to your ears or your feet. ♪

the best way to tell how great you look... is in your jeans. drop a jean size in two weeks... with the special k challenge. with more delicious options than ever. jeans don't lie. go to... the new specialk.com to design your plan.

jeans don't lie. go to... i'm george duran and i'm on a personal mission to show everybody the difference between other canned tomatoes and hunt's tomatoes. ever heard of flashsteaming? no. hunt's flashsteams every tomato. that's great. that keeps that backyard garden fresh taste. close your eyes, close your eyes with me, doesn't it smell just like tomato gardens? i've replaced your tomatoes. your troubles are over. pick up on aisle 7. isn't it time to take a fresh look at your tomatoes? with all the pet hair in the air my eyes would really itch. but now i have new zyrtec® itchy eye drops.

no other allergy itchy eye drop works faster or longer. zyrtec® itchy eye drops work fast i can love the air™. (announcer) find it in the allergy aisle. you'll never have to call them to the dinner table twice still to come, some ideas for decorating your home for halloween, courtesy of "southern living." plus, the best, new nail color for fall, which i think you need. >> oh, yes, true. >> yes. >> and if you're trying to watch

your waistline and wondering, can i eat that bacon? bacon, mm-mmm! >> bacon! >> we'll tell you about some tasty food swaps. announcer: trying to be good to your heart? so is campbell's healthy request soup. low in fat and cholesterol,

heart healthy levels of sodium, and taste you'll love. chef: we're all kind of excited about it. guy: mmm! i can see why. announcer: campbell's healthy request. m'm! m'm! good! for your heart. younger skin? i want new skin. i want what avon's got. introducing anew reversalist. it's breakthrough! it creates new skin faster... so the appearance of wrinkles fades quickly. my skin doesn't just look new. it is new. reversalist does it. and only avon has it. now you can have it. anew reversalist. with a love it or return it guarantee. call 1-800-for-avon or go to avon.com to find a representative today. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning.

i am mindy basara. here is a look at some of our top stories. a postdoctoral fellow at the university of maryland hospital faces criminal drug charges after his live-in girlfriend, also a fellow, died after injecting drugs that may have been ordered online. she injected herself with a drug in a house that she and her boyfriend shared yesterday. it is intended to help at expect their dependency on heroin. she stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at the university hospital emergency rooms with her boyfriend told investigators that he had been buying drugs, and from the philippines. he is now charged with illegal drug possession. police in northwest baltimore hope that someone will recognize a rape suspect. it happened as a woman was walking home from park heights on a coldspring lane. the woman was walking home --

walk into a bus stop when she was forced at gunpoint and he raped her. >> investigators are able to get footage of the cameras in the area, and were able to obtain a composite drawing on the victims information. >> anyone with information should call the police sex crimes unit. let's look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> surely it-than-normal temperature range. 64 and 69 degrees. westerly winds as a stain at 15 to 20 -- wins sustained 15 to 20 miles per hour. we are getting a very intense westerly flow. the winds will not only today but tomorrow -- high-pressure belts in and keeps us stable and dry until friday. the showers will last into the weekend.

>> we will have another update at 9:55.

♪ ♪ why you so obsessed with me,

boy i wanna know ♪ ♪ lying that you're sexing me with everybody knows it's plain that you're upset with me ♪ >> that is none other than pop singer mariah carey, and apparently, fans are obsessed with "obsessed" and with mariah. the song has been downloaded more than a million times already, making it the first big hit off her 12th album "memoirs of an imperfect angel," which dropped in stores today. >> i love when you talk with that talk. >> the billboard talk. >> it drops. >> the best part is she's going to be back on friday to perform for us on the plaza. so, you can imagine the crowd that we're going to have. >> going to be big. >> unbelievable, yeah. still to come, if you want to lose weight, but you're still not clear on how to do it, "biggest loser" dietician and award winning chef sheryl thorberg will be here with some smart food choices. i think you'll like her suggestions. >> simple changes.

you can swap this out for that without losing the satisfaction. also, from your head to your nails, we're going to look at "allure" magazine's best in beauty award winners. the coveted title goes to products that make you look and feel your best. some of them are under $5, so you can't beat the price tag. plus, decorating with pumpkins courtesy of "southern living" and elizabeth mayhew. first of all -- >> pumpkins. pumpkin pie! >> love pumpkins. you're a pumpkin pie. you got a check of the weather for us? >> i'm not sure how to take that. >> it's a compliment. it's my favorite dessert. >> oh, well. >> there you go. >> anyway, we'll talk later. let's check your weather, see what's going on. the mind boggles. showers in the pacific northwest, windy in the southwest. windy also in the mid-mississippi river valley. for tomorrow, some rain moves into western new york, risk of strong storms in the central plains, wet weather in the western >> 64 to 69 the the temperature

range. feeling a little cooler with the wind out of the west. night sky conditions. in store for >> and that's your latest weather. >> thank you, pumpkin. all right, coming up next, the winner is -- the best in buteauty awards for 2009. sharing, it's what kids do. but every year an average of four million kids get the flu and miss out on sharing.

that's why we created goodtoshare.com. here you'll learn how to protect your family from influenza, get facts on the latest vaccination options available from your doctor, and hear what experts have to say on the value of sharing. flu protection has never been more important-- so discover your options at goodtoshare.com. and, together, we can all be good to share. medimmune. sharing the science of flu protection. traditionally men have ruled the world. i think that they're in control. women rule the world. men are just here for the company. really? ask your wife. depend brand. for women and men. inining ring ring. progresso. your chicken tuscany says it has fiber in it. yep. four tasty new soups with 28% of your daily fiber. but i like this chicken tuscany. i like it too. but it has fiber in it. that's right.

fiber? yeah. but i like it. (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. trying to be big like you, dad. you're so good at keeping everyone full and focused with your fiber. but you already are great at doing that. really? sure! you're made with fiber just like me. but best of all, you're the perfect size for smaller kids, and they love your chocolaty taste. kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats little bites cereal. an excellent source of fiber packed in a smaller size... to help keep your little ones full and focused. now where you going? to practice keeping 'em full and focused. i have big shoes to fill.

♪ this morning on "today's beauty," a list you're going to want to listen to. you know, of course, movies have the oscars, music has the grammys, television has the emmys, and the beauy industry has the annual "allure" magazine best of awards. and kristen prada is the editorial products director of "allure" magazine. good to have you here, good morning. >> good morning. thank you. >> this is the 14th annual beauty awards list, and i know your editor spent the last six months reviewing and sampling

2,500 different products. so, what goes into the process? >> this is an exhaustive process, because what we're trying to do is both save you money -- it's -- you can waste so much money on dud products, and then also save you the frustration of getting something home and being disappointed in it. but what goes into it are people like me basically using products all over my body. i feel like i'm divided into quadrants just to test enough. >> and dermatologists and researchers, you check in, you sample -- >> independent chemists, dermatologists. we want to know that the science is legit, it's not just us deciding what's great. >> starting with the head working down the body. pantene pro v conditioner gets the breakthrough award. what makes this a breakthrough when it comes to your hair? >> these have been shown to improve your hair strength ten times in two weeks. the experts we spoke with have never seen a product that would work that way. >> wow. >> what it does is forms -- your hair is most vulnerable to breakage and damage when it's wet. so, this forms a cast over your

hair while it's wet, and then that cast dissipates when it's dry so when your hair's dry, it feels fine. so, it's ten times the strength in two weeks. >> so a major breakthrough for $3.99 and up. not a bad deal. onto now our nails, and you selected sally hanson's inst ady nails. you're going to try it on here and see if at the end of the segment it's dried. >> the deal with fast-dry nail polish was it was always a trade-off. if you wanted the fast-dry nail polish -- >> nice fall color. >> -- it's fast to chip. they borrowed things from plastic and glass to create a formula that dries in 60 seconds, but also has shock absorbers in it, so if you ding your nail, it moves a little so that it absorbs -- >> really? that sounds so scientific. that's crazy. >> we tried it out, dug through our purses, everything you're not supposed to do with a manicure, and it held up for a

week. so this product is fantastic. >> we'll check that at the end of the segment and see if it's dry and you can dig through your purse after. this is the new lotion that claims to rejuvenate your skin. does it really work? >> yes, look, what happens is for a lot of women -- men, too -- your skin gets to a point of dryness where you just can't seem to get it back, no matter how much lotion you blob on. it's still flaking, it's still dry and cracked. this product actually does help to reinstate the -- >> the elasticity and the -- >> well, no, the protective layer of the skin. >> okay. >> it has amino acids in it -- >> it's very shiny. >> i know, it goes on like crisco, but it does absorb. >> it does absorb. >> and we found after one use -- >> it's very sparkly. >> -- it stopped our skin from flaking. dermatologists said they had never seen anything with this technology. >> wow. >> so, if you have dry skin, even psoriasis, eczema, you should try it. it's great. >> next, and i hear this, when you talk to makeup artists, they

swear by the georgio armani foundation. the texture is really smooth, silky, almost. >> it does, and it actually has silk particles in it. what's amazing about this silk foundation is, number one, it's 50% water. other water-based foundations are typically 30% to 40%. it also has silk fibers that form a netting over your skin that keeps the foundation in place, even if you're sweating or outside running around. finally, it's got -- i blobbed it on, but it's got light-reflective particles, so it's going to make you look for radiant, because you know, who couldn't use more help in that department? >> we all need that. here you selected a covergirl lip stain. >> yes. the great thing about the lip stain is they are typically very dry on your lips. you find your lips flake. this outlast lip stain, we love, number one, that it comes in this form, so it's easy to use. >> do you have any more hands? >> i know. i need more body parts. >> you can test on my hand. here you go. >> it's packed with moisturizers and glycerine, so it's not going to dry out your lips. it feels wonderful, actually.

>> and it will last you. over here, a lot of body washes, but dove is the best, you say. >> right. basically, body washes wash too well. they remove the -- >> they strip your skin. >> they strip your skin of the fatty acids that keep it moist. what dove did was take what's in their beauty bar and put it in a liquid form. this will keep you moist and the dermatologists said they couldn't believe how moisturized the skin was after it. >> dermatologists love dove. and for your legs, continuing on to keep our legs silky and smooth, the gillette razor. >> the gillette venus razor. this has five blades. finally, a company has realized that women, too, would like to get a close shave. it has a pivoting head, will not cut you, but will get to every last hair. >> okay. >> then we love aveeno's positively smooth shaving gel because it actually contains a soy extract. what happens when you use it is the soy extract gets left behind on your skin and slowly things out your hair. so as the hair grows back, it's not as noticeable, so you don't

get that stubble. >> wow. >> so, this is something that will reduce the frequency of shaving. >> real quick, is the nail dry? oh, wow, it's dry! >> and i blobbed it on. i was a little nerve. >> i'm hitting it, banging it. pretty good. very nice. kristen peratta, thank you very much. >> thank you. the key to cutting calories, how to make smart food choices. . it's weight watchers, but it's completely online. customizable tools give you structure to make healthier choices. while restaurant guides, recipes, and mobile access give you flexibility, to live life and lose weight. sign up now and get one month free. go to weightwatchers.com/monthfree hurry the free month offer is only available for a limited time. weight watchers online. stop dieting. start living. still haven't tried activia? listen to this story. my problem was occasional irregularity. my commercials didn't convince you? i am definitely a skeptic. actually, my mom convinced me.

and i have activia every morning for breakfast. activia definitely helped with my occasional irregularity. activia is clinically proven to help regulate your digestive system in two weeks when eaten every day. chances are someone you trust can recommend activia. take the activia challenge. it works or your money back! ♪ activia! what if it had a flat bottom? old el paso stand 'n stuff. true genius. mexican style. convincing, isn't it? dove therapy conditioners. research proves dove even repairs... damage at the tips better than the leading pantene conditioner. dove. expertise for damaged hair. with lotion and a touch of shea butter. it's more soothing than plain tissue, why use any other?

a nose in need, deserves puffs plus indeed. you can never be sure what you're walking into,

until now! nice! with new air wick compact imotion, you get concentrated freshness continuously and it has a motion sensor so it lets out extra freshness when you need it most. with even the tough places covered, your entire home smells great. air wick freshmatic compact with imotion. air wick, it's good to be home. this morning on "eat smart today," simple swaps for a healthier lifestyle. in last tuesday's episode of nbc's reality weight loss show "the biggest loser," there were no eliminations, at least not on the program. instead, everyone learned how to cook and eat healthy. cheryl forberg is the show diet and nutrition expert. her book "the biggest loser simple swaps" is a guide to healthy weight loss through easy lifestyle choices. cheryl, good to see you. >> good to see you, al.

>> now, what are some of the obstacles that prevent most people from doing what the contestants do on "biggest loser," making these kind of swaps, making these healthy choices? >> i think initially, they're overwhelmed. they don't know where to begin, and that's the preface of the book, to talk about really simple changes that you can make every day to make a really big difference. >> and it's the little changes that added up. >> exactly. >> see, because i think a lot of people are overwhelmed by changing everything all at once. >> that's right. >> they think they have to do all or nothing. >> that's right. >> so it's the little changes. >> simple swaps. >> for example, you say mayo. now, of course, everybody likes creamy mayo. but there's something you can swap for that. >> absolutely, three slices of avocado or an ounce has fewer calories without the mayonnaise, but you get the creamy richness, so you don't feel deprived. but the avocado has nutrients and vitamins. >> how do you use this in place? >> lay this on a sandwich with

whole wheat bread or smush it down little bit. >> you say bacon in and of itself in moderation is not a bad thing. >> it's not a bad thing. most of us are carb-heavy on our breakfast. we have cereal, toast, we have jam, we have fruit, we have juice. we forget about protein in the morning. >> right. >> we're exercising. we need to feed our muscles. we need protein. but regular bacon has three times the calories of canadian bacon and more than twice the sodium. this is a great choice. >> and in fact, it's more like a ham than a bacon in a sense. >> but you still get that satisfaction of having some meat and good protein. >> pork. you get some pork. that's what we like. >> you get some pork. >> peas, these are your average, everyday type of peas, but this is ad mommie. why is that better? >> peach are a vegetable. at mommie is actually a legume, in the same categories as lentils and black beans. edamame has twice as much protein andfiber. it's satisfying and you stay

full longer. >> now pasta. people say pasta is bad, but there are some pastas that are better than others. >> that's right. white pasta's made from white flour. basically, very few nutrients and just calories, whereas the whole grain pasta still has the nutrients and the fiber in tact. it's more filling. you don't need to eat nearly as much of it. >> then this is a pasta preparation that's little hea h healthier than most. >> this is one of my favorites, the greek-style penny with artichokes and feta cheese. this serving has less than 300 calories. it's made with loads of vegetables, so you don't have quite as much pasta. >> right. >> artichokes and still room for cheese. everyone loves cheese. >> so, you bulk up the plate with vegetables -- >> exactly. >> so you've got a good serving, but it's not mostly pasta. >> exactly. it's a double simple swap. >> i love this idea, your individual pizza. >> this is fabulous. >> but this is a mushroom pizza. >> portabella mushroom cap has 27 calories. you put a little -- spoon a little marinara sauce in there,

lean turkey sausage, cheese on the top. bake it. two of these has less than half the calories of this one. >> wow. then you've got frozen yogurt, one a little better than the other. >> they both look really healthy. contestants last season made up this dessert for cherry crunch. they look about the same. theirs has greek-style yogurt and a high fiber, high protein kashi cereal on here and fresh cherries. this is fat-free frozen yogurt, but sometimes when you take out the fat, you add sugar. this has more than twice as many calories. >> wow. cheryl toberg, thank you so much. i love that pizza idea. >> thank you. it's delicious. >> the book is "the biggest loser simple swaps," and "the biggest loser" airs tonight at 8:00/7:00 central here on nbc. next, let's head to the pumpkin patch for festive ideas to decorate your home and celebrate the season. getting dirty

the art of getting clean salsa doesn't stand a chance against the power of wisk®. wisk®. powerfully clean. perfectly priced.

when it comes to italian sauce, some people prefer this jar. but more people prefer this sauce. winner of the blind taste test. the sweet and savory taste of prego. it's in there.

♪ >> where do we find this music? this morning on "today's home," it is pumpkin picking season, and because kids love to run around the fields and pick as many as they can, we have the editor of "southern living" magazine here with us for great ideas. hi, elizabeth. great way to decorate and inexpensive. >> inexpensive, fun and kids can do it. >> kids love this. this is something you did with your kids, right? >> so easy. all you do is take your pumpkin, cut your top off like normally. cut it a little lower and look for a wide pumpkin for this. scoop out all the inside. then what you're going to do is go to the hardware store and buy copper wire. cut eight equal lengths and you can be like superman. you bend it and buy a copper cutter. it's $10. then have your kids push the legs into the pumpkin like that. you've got the legs. then you're going to fill it with ice. >> ice? >> you can put sodas, whatever. it just makes -- it's fun.

you can do a few of them. >> a pumpkin cooler. >> it's a spooky pumpkin cooler. >> very cute. >> next, when serving, it's so easy to hollow out a pumpkin and use it for dip or any kind of serving. >> soups are great. >> the great thing is you do it ahe ahead. you can put this in the refrigerator, take it out, put your chips. couldn't be easier. >> yeah. that looks really cute. i love this idea here. you've actually lit up this pumpkin. >> this is very pretty as the alternative to the carving. also so easy. this is actually with a fake pumpkin. if you're going to do the work, you can do it and store it year to year. all you do is take painter's tape. the only reason you do this is so that you know you can cut in a straight line. >> right. >> then take a 5/16 drill, you drill the hole and then just take your christmas lights out early -- >> not hard to do at all. >> make sure they work. stuff them in the bottom. by the way, you've carved out the whole bottom. stick it in there, then thread the lights in through the hole like that, and then just plug it in and put it at your door. >> and it's safer than i would

imagine the candles, which are not extremely safe. >> and you can use it year after year. >> great. >> super easy. >> this is beautiful. this is a wreath made of pumpkins? >> go to the florist store, any craft store. you can buy a wreath wire. you take the small pumpkins. these are so cute. take the florist wire -- >> be careful when you're pushing them through. >> you attach them to the form and then just buy moss, which you can buy at a florist shop or a craft shop. >> so it's actually a round wreath form. >> it's a wreath form and you wrap them around. it's so easy. you can make them more three-dimensional, add more pumpkins to it twist it, hide it and then add a black ribbon for a festive look to your door for trick-or-treaters. >> then you decorate it with the moss around it, too. >> you cover the wire form like this, cover the wire with the moss with the glue gun or you could actually just stick it on there and it will stay. >> now, look at this gorgeous centerpiece, right? this would be perfect for a dining room table.

>> well, it's actually a little high for a dining room table -- >> might be. >> unless you don't want to see -- >> you don't want to talk to your friends. >> but for a pumpkin, this is great for a housewarming gift for somebody's house. you know in the south we love to bring house warming gift. >> two southern living girls. >> you just cut out the center, but you have to really put a glass vase in. so measure your vase to your pumpkin beforehand. fill it with water and it will last for months at a time. >> gorgeous idea. okay. >> now, for your dining room table, it's nicer to do something flat. just take a platter, take pumpkins, put it together with peppers and tomatoes. just stay within a color palette. assemble it -- >> then you get a beagle and then you stay in the patch all night and you wait -- >> i love charlie brown. and then a copper pot. >> that is pretty cool. >> put it -- >> if you don't cut it, how long do they last? >> they last quite a long time. when you buy it, make sure the stem is stiff and there's no blemishing. >> all right.

just like the way i like my co-anchors. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. orlin family is mourning the loss of a local marine. -- a maryland family is mourning the loss of a local marine. jordan chrobot was shot in the chest. no formal funera

>> now let's take a look at the forecast with sandra shaw. >> partly cloudy statewide today, cooler than normal, downright chilly tonight. 52 downtown. 49 at the airport. tomorrow, the breeze hangs around. cooler still on thursday. still in the 60's on friday. 70's on the weekend with a chance of showers. >> we will see you back here for 11 news at noon.

announcer: it's "live with regis and kelly." today, from the new abc series "the middle," patricia heaton. and more golden stool will be announced as we continue our "the middle," patricia heaton. and more golden stool will be announced as we continue our