we're back now with more of "today" tuesday morning, the 21st day of august, 2012. i guess we can say the summer is winding down, though it's sad to say it. >> a month to go. >> back to school, a lot of kids back to school already. kids around here back to school in a week or so. these people stretching some more fun out of summer. out on the plaza, i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. some sad news to report for long distance smimer diana nyad, her attempt to set the record swimming from cuba to the united states was ended this morning. she was pulled from the water after being stung by jellyfish,

storms pushed her off course. we'll have more on that story coming up in a couple minutes. >> you mentioned summer. a lot of families dealing with back to school blues. moms do, too. first lady michelle obama opened up about the hectic end of summer at her house. she also has things to ref up back to school routine. go shopping for back to school items. i used to love to do that when i was a little girl. tips for uss for all ages. >> literally did that yesterday. you can waste lot of time with apps, going to websites, especially when you talk about your health. some of them are actually good for you and they are free. we're going to show you the best sites to visit and best apps to download to keep you healthy. >> lots to get to. let's go inside. natalie standing by with a look at the headlines. good morning, natalie. >> good morning, matt, savannah and al. a day before her 63rd birthday, distance swimmer diana nyad had

to end her historic attempt swimming the 103 miles from cuba to florida. as you see in the photo, her team decided to pull her out of the water this morning halfway through due to nyad's extreme exhaustion. she was also suffering from jellyfish stings. republicaneto akin apologizing and asking for forgiveness amid calls from his own party to drop out of the race. he called rape an evil act saying he used the wrong words at the wrong time saying a legitimate rape will not lead to pregnancy. akin will not drop out for senate. stunning new images out west. pictures from the trinity fire in idaho shows a fierce blaze that forced thousands from their homes. wildfires are even visible from space as seen in these nasa images. some hope in california where firefighters say shifting winds there helped to divert the flames from home.

a legal setback for cycling champ lance armstrong as a federal judge dismisses his bid to stop anti-doping agency from investigating whether or not he used performance enhancing drugs. a previous bid was knocked down last month. armstrong has the option now to file anoer revised complaint. the u.s. ada has charged armstrong with doping and if proven those charges could strip him of his tour de france title. a health scare from rosie o'donnell as she reveals on her blog she suffered a heart attack last week and says it's a miracle she's still alive. an examination reveals one of her arteries was 99% blocked. o'donnell credits awareness with saving her life. nasa's curiosity rover flexing out on mars, flexing its seven-foot arm before it begins collecti samples of the red planet to see if it once sustained life. nelly sea otter likes to be

organized when her trainer to see cups. she stacks them up in size order. you can bet she'll have her pool ti tidied up. they are good problem solvers and use cunning to survive in the wild. four minutes after the hour. back outside to al. wonder if she does windows. >> teach my kids a few things. >> tidy up her own room. >> shee what we're talking about. talking about a lot of rain unfortunately in florida, heavy storms, anywhere from two to four inches. flash flood watches and flood watches. due to a stationary front, moist air in the gulf and florida. rainfall amounts, basically looking at one to three inches. locally five inches between tampa and savannah, not guthrie but south carolina, savannah, georgia, i should say. tropical depression nine, 715 miles east of the leeward islands, moving west at 20 miles per hour. that might bring it by the time

we get into sunday morning as a category two storm over cuba and eventually making its way into florida. that's what going on around the w >> good morning. we're starting out with dry conditions. we have a 20% chance for a shower this afternoon. and that's your latest weather. natalie. >> al, thank you. first lady michelle obama has an exciting new role this week. she's serving as guest editor for online women's community ivillage owned by nbc universal. ivillage's chief correspondent

sat down with mrs. obama for an exclusive interview. kelly, good morning. >> good morning. >> this is great ivillage has this. i understand this interview with mrs. obama happened in the formal office, east wing, very informal, even took her shoes off. >> so informal. comes in, takes her shoes off, puts her legs under her tush. she wanted to be mom to mom. she wanted me to wear mom clothes. wear my six-year-old cargo pants. she wanted to be laid back. >> one of the issues we talked about, what all moms deal with, whether or not i'm doing right by my kids. let's take a listen at this clip. >> i just keep saying i hope i'm doing it right. i hope i am. you know, all we can do is our best. what i have come to learn is that what's best for one kid won't work for the other one. that's the dog gone thing about it. >> i thought i had it mastered for once. >> you're so different. where did you come from?

>> we see the lighthearted moment but having that in-depth moment that we all have felt in our lives. >> exactly. we talked about all those things, overscheduling your kids. can you relate to that. she can relate. she said last year sasha was overscheduled, tae kwon do, swimming, piano, et cetera. talked about getting ready for school, making sure kids have everything they need. she says every day she hopes she will be doing right by her sids. she won't know until they leave the white house to know it worked. all the evidence shows they are poised, natural, having a normal childhood and doing fine. >> i was going to ask you about, that pressures of this new campaign. how are ty handling it? how are the girls being shielded from the spotlight. >> right. they are four years older. they potentially could read more and hear more. she said a couple of things. they only care about their lives, like kids. they have mapped out different

scenarios. either way their lives are going to be great, they are going to be great. interestingly th don't watch a lot of tv. big rules in the white house how many hours of tv. when they do watch tv, everything is dvr'd. what they can do is fast forward through any of the ads. i was in washington overnight yesterday. there's a lot of negative ads going on in washington but the girls don't have to see it. >> get past the commercials. >> exactly. >> malia is going to high school. what did she talk to you about that. i know they have had talks. >> she has stomach knots. she doesn't know what it's like to be the mom of a high schooler. they have lots of conversation, open dialogues. they talk about everything, drugs, sex. i said you've had the talks? she said we've had all the talks. they talk about smoking, body image. she tries to meet her kids where they are, see where their head is, what questions they have, be open and honest and try to have that dialogue at all times. >> mrs. obama the guest editor this week.

she's contributing a series a day. how involved was she. >> very involved. we spent more than an hour in her office. it was basically rev up your back to school routine. we had a number of ideas for her. she said i think we should step back a little bit. we wanted one day to be about healthy eating. before you talk about healthy eating, what about shopping 101, what if people don't know how to grocery stop. we had another segment on focus on your relationship with your husband and kids. wait, step back and talk about your girlfriends, how important those female friendships are. she really enhanced the content, very involved. it's monday through sunday. you're going to have personal anecdotes from her, video segments every day and content she selected that we went ahead and executed. >> talking about going to the grocery store, making the right choices, let's move initiative. her job of handling or tackling childhood obesity front and center as well. >> exactly. we wanted to do something for back to school. we were thinking we wanted to launch the guest editor program.

who could be ideal for that. as we were all getting the kids back to school. we know we're going to have to do healthy lunches, exercise fits in with homework, we thought this could really work. she has really seized it as another opportunity to try and encourage kids to get out and live healthy lives. >> kelly wallace, thanks so much. saw more video there. >> kids for dinner. all these kids who submitted healthiest recipes around the country had the first ever steak dinner at the white house. >> the president surprised them. >> he's usually invited to the steak dinners but he had to crash that one. >> very cute. kelly wallace, thanks so much. still ahead using technology to improve your health. top three apps to download. the best gear and supplies right after this. ek? morning? donut cookies chips, chips,...!

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good morning. back to school supplies for every age. it is time to load up. anna is here. director for "parenting" magazine. goos to see you. >> thank you for having me. this is the season, everybody is in the thick of the back to school shopping frenz y. let's start with the little guys. preschooler, tiny, little hands. you want backpack that will fit their size, things they can easily tote around. lunch boxes. the first time they are taking their lunches to school. that's a really big deal for them. but they are messy, really messy. anything reusable. anything you can toss in a dishwasher is a good idea. sandwich bags in the dishwasher. >> relatively inexpensive. >> about $8, use them again and again. >> i love these crayons. >> these crayons are amazing.

they are diamond shaped. ther they have a lot of different layers and colors. kids can play around. it makes learning fun for them. when you get into elementary school that's when the back to school supply lists are long. my friend just started first grade so i totally can relate to this. they lose things so you want to double up. this is two-for-one, pencil sharpner and eraser, cool and fun and doubles as a toy. these are erasers, mini hampsters. >> i've seen erasers that look like sushi. >> they do. anything that makes learning fun is a good idea. pencil cases, fun ones from target. fit everything but look like a shoe. >> can you wear them. >> they get a chuckle out of you. when it comes to lunchtime in elementary school. these hot lunch containers are great because the spoon is built in. they can't lose it. everything is attached. it's easy for kids to move around. >> water bottle. >> funky water bottles.

every boat toting them around to stay hydrated. these filter the water so you can drink. when you get to middle school, it's totally different. kids at this age have an opinion. they know what they want and they want to show off their personalities. these are cool watches. they can tell the time at this age. that doesn't mean they know when to meet you at the right time. you can get one of those. >> folders. >> those are their opportunities to really show off their personalities. these book covers, they are called book skinz, kids like them because they keep them neat and clean, encourage them to wrap them. >> we used to make them out of brown paper bags. >> we did, too. you're not that old. backpacks, glittery, sparkly, a great one from gap. >> you've got to be careful. a lot of kids coming home with back problems. you pick up the backpack, can weigh 20 or 30 pounds. >> a lot of people opt for

rollaways, too. you want something durable. kids toss things around. jan sport you can toss around. by the time they get to high school, they really have their own opinions. they might not talk. leather, messenger bags, they like things that make them look older than they are. the crown jewel of high school is your locker. >> the locker. >> it's kind of like the first piece of real estate you're going to own. they didn't have this stuff 25 years ago for me but i would have loved it. >> disco ball. >> disco ball, chandeliers, was that. you can go all out when it comes to lockers. >> a party in your locker. >> that's right. >> that's some great stuff. thank you so much. >> thank you, al. >> looking back, remembering the original queen of comedy. we look back at the remarkable life of phyllis diller right

after these messages. [ mini ] ah, the first day of school. new pencils, new books... new backpack...looks good. just trying to look our best. gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused all morning long. now available in touch of fruit raspberry. keeps 'em full.

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phyllis dille is being remembered this morning as blazing a trail for women in the world of comedy. >> she died on monday at the age of 95. nb takes a look back at her remarkable career. good morning to you. >> reporter: we know phyllis diller was an extraordinary woman. she had a womenor every situation. her one-liners were usually aimed at herself. she laughed her way into our hearts and more importantly paved the way for the women who followed in her footsteps.

>> i was the world's ugliest baby. when i was born, the doctor slapped everybody. >> reporter: you couldn't help laughing at phyllis diller. after all, she laughed the loudest. the midwestern housewife with an outrageous sense of humor. >> she was such a oneer for female comments. no one did what she did. i resent when people say what a great woman dmedian she was. she was just a great comedian. >> reporter: born in 1917, diller said he never felt pretty so she decided to be funny instead. it was a gift that years later kept her family afloat. at the age of 37 with five children and her husband out of work, she gave standup a try. despite repeated rejection, diller persevered and eventually earned an invitation to "the tonight show." diller later partnered with bop hope, performing together on television and uso tour. >> such a thrill for me, all these men whistling and screaming. >> yeah. they have been in the jungle too long. >> reporter: going where no female comic had dared go

before. diller poked holes in the facade of the happy housewife, acknowledging the pressure. >> there's one man in the world who is actually crazy about my legs. colonel sanders. >> reporter: she made endless fun of her fictional husband, the infamous fang. >> i told fang i was going to have my face-lift, he said who would steal it. >> reporter: she punctuated with wild outfits and wig but her best accessory was her laugh. 84 years old, diller took the stage for her last standup performance. >> the best contraceptive for old people is nudity. >> look at me, crying through the whole thing. she liked her own jokes. she knew she was funny. she had as good a time on stage as the audience had. and they felt that, too. >> reporter: america couldn't help but love phyllis diller. every joke she made came from the heart. >> i always said i would like to become a gracious lady and be known for kindness.

of course i -- >> you are. [ applause ] >> thank you. thank you. >> reporter: her close friend said she was always more happy for others than herself and she was the first one to laugh at a young comic's jokes. that says a lot about her character. >> thank you. i'm sure she will be remembered that way. >> definitely a ground breaker. still ahead on a much different note, big decorating ideas. >> later this week, they are juicy, plentiful, delicious recipes for fresh tomatoes after your local news and weather. ooh kfc. hey, you're supposed to wait for everybody. you know what, while we're waiting

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did you know ? if you choose mirena to prevent pregnancy, it's also approved to treat heavy periods. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> quiet start this tuesday. as we head into the afternoon, a mixture of sunshine and clouds. slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. most of you will have a dry day. it looks like a nice stretch of weather going into next weekend. picture of clouds and sunshine all week. all week. want to start the day with something heart healthy and delicious? you're a talking bee... honey t cheerios has whole grain oats that can help lower cholesterol. and it tastes good? sure does! right... ♪ wow. delicious, right? yeah. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... ♪

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>> carly rae jepsen of "call me maybe" fame collaborating with owl city on their new hit song "good time." they will bring that to us thursday for a new hit concert. come on down. >> that's a catchy song, too. >> a good time. >> meantime, coming up, get healthy. a lot of information on your health. a go to list of great sites and apps that will benefit you and your family's health. >> all right. we also have help if you're moving into your apartment or

downsizing. decorating a small space without a lot of cash can seem like a tall order. not anymore. coming up, some affordable pieces that do double duty. you'll definitely want to pick up some of these. >> what we should be doing with those fresh, delicious tomatoes, whether they are out of your own garden or grocery store. they are out there in abundance for the season. some tasty recipes with adam rapoport for you to try. first mr. rocky hare a check of the weather. >> first today, looking at plenty of sunshine for the northeast into the great lakes. we've got showers in northern texas, fire damage stays high in the northwest and central rockies. as we make our way into tomorrow, heavy rain in central and northern florida. rain will be a problem. heavy rain in the southwest. mild conditions in the southwest, stays very dry so >> good morning.ins

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this morning on "today's" home, decorating small spaces on a budget. it may seem like a challenge but it doesn't have to be. founder of brit & company. what is the secret to decorating on a budget without having the budget look. >> it's all about things multi-functional doing double duty. we have a lot of things to show you. >> you converted our set into this living room/bedroom. starting off with the bed and it's multi-purpose. >> this is a futuron, also a day bed. a sofa by day, bed by night. two-for-one.

futons are not just for college kids. throw some pillows and blanket. >> storage is necessary. under the futon space is important as well. >> put clothes, blankets, whatever you want to store. >> hide your goods. >> you've got this great bedding option as well a lot of times new bedding is pricey. this is a way to save money. >> this is so meaningful. these are t-shirts and jerseys grog up. i stitched them into a quilt. >> you made that. >> cost me nothing. this is completely free. now it's like a scrapbook and a blanket. >> something that means a lot to you. every space we see here is used, including you need a space to put stuff. you've created an end table with vintage suitcases. >> it's all about multi-functional objects. suitcases are great for storage, suitcases and a side table.

stack them like that. >> find these anywhere. flea markets. >> ebay. yes, they are all over the place. >> you've got this nice ensemble going here. coffee table. >> this is a bench. use it for seating, as an actual bench. this is a tablecloth on top. set up a table on the floor. >> a lot of uses. let's move over here to our dresser. i like what you've done here because you have to create places where you can hide and hang things. >> that's right. we've taken objects from a kitchen or bathroom, like the bathroom towel holder we draped scarves on. over here a paper towel holder and coat hooks, bracelets, bangles. >> i like that. now here with the jewelry, a great way to creatively hang it up. >> if that's not enough space for accessories, get an old photo frame, paint it, and put some chicken wire or netting, hang sunglasses, earrings, anything you want.

so easy to grab and take off. >> looks like art. >> beautiful. >> mason jars as well. >> mason jars are one of my favorite things ever. these are painted inside, metallic color, upscale class, fill them with flowers and there are your vases. >> something i should point out. artwork. this is all your creation. >> the simplest creative art, not but canvas and tape, chevron patterns, go wild. >> instead of tv, cable sub skripg descriptions, mount your ipad. >> watch your tv and movies, rent them from itunes, take it on the go. >> not big screen tv but still good tv watching on it. all right. thanks a lot. great ideas for our small space. coming up next, staying healthy with guidance from technology.

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acid that causes frequent heartburn. >> this morning on today's health, technology that's helps your health, thanks to internet and smart phones, advice at fingertips. the medical editor of "health" magazine is here with the best free apps out there. noise to see you. >> nice to see you, al. >> we just heard with rosie o'donnell, feeling symptoms of a heart attack, went on the web, figured out what needed to be done. the danger is you have to know what sites to trust. >> absolutely. a lot of information out there. some of it good, some not so good. it uses information within the context of a conversation with your doctor. >> these apps are so prolific, health field is no exception. you like spot-check. >> right now forrim phone, i believe they are expanding to androids soon. skin cancer is the most common

cancer in this country. this is a way to take a picture of a mole, send it to a board certified dermatologist. within 24 hours you get an answer whether it's typical, atypical. atypical a worrisome one. the app helps you get an appointment with a dermatology, which is not always easy, in your area. not a substitute for doctors at all. hopefully we'll have more people looking at their moles. atypical ones. >> gi monitor. >> technology is the wave of the future in health care. this is a way that patients can actually monitor their symptoms, keep track of symptoms, things like abdominal pain, change in bowel habits. one of the things i get frustrated with as a doctor. the patient comes in, how many times have you had had problem, how many times a week. they can't remember. i understand. i can't remember myself. you can create a chart, come in and show them. right now gi conditions but expanding for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis as well. >> eat healthy. >> thisses great.

we know we need nutritious meals when you kbo to the supermarket. when you look at labels they are confusing. you can scan in the bar code on your phone and give you information what's nutritious in that food, not so good and healthier alternatives to what you're buying. >> trying to lose weight, lose it. >> a lot of people swearing by this app, a way to track what you're eating, give you the calorie count, break it down by protein and fat, track exercise and get e-mail support from friends or website itself to help motivate you. >> trying to get your doctor on the phone to make an appointment or receptionist can drive you nuts. >> that office staff can be very intimidating to say the least. a lot of times you can't get an appointment. zoc doc is available many cities in the u.s. put in your zip code, health showers, the kind of doctor you want to see. they will get you an appointment win 24, 48 hours. >> talking about websites, there are a lot of them out there.

how many are advertiser supported. they have a hidden agenda. which are the ones you like. >> i think you should always look for a website affiliated with an academic medical center, something like mayoclinic.com is great. one that uses credible, certified doctors. i contribute to health.com, healthynation.com. you wan to make sure these are websites using doctors that are experts in their field, working at am demmic medical centers. you have to be careful of the patient blog. people love them, get a lot of support from them. when you're dealing with one person's experience with a disease, it may turn out to be different from your own. use this information within the context of talking to your doctor. it will help you have a more informed conversation. >> doctor, thank you for being here. >> thank you. >> just ahead, delicious recipes for all those plump tomatoes in season right now. first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's" kitchen, what is on the must notu? tomatoes, whether you grow them yourself or buy them at the market, fresh juicy tomatoes are plentiful. editor of bon appetit here with dlashs ways delicious ways to u them. >> hello, natalie. >> lots of gorgeous tomatoes. >> gorgeous. >> they are not hybrids, not modified, pure. cherokee purple, green zebra, black russian. in the northeast they are in season two months a year, august, september, buy them. when you buy them, you don't have to do must have. they are so flavorful, so fragrant, juicy. tomatoes love two things, olive oil and salt. this is a great simple heirloom tomato salad, throw fresh basil.

let them sit in the oil, marinate, masscerate. when storing they will, never refrigerator. room temp all the time. >> how do you know when they are really ripe besides biting into them. >> that's the best way to check. they should be heavy to the touch, density, soft, trust your nose. they are like strawberries or peaches, you can smell right through. >> make an open face feta tomato sandwich. >> do a little olive oil. let you get started. >> tomatoes, buy different colors, different varieties. not only do they look different, they will taste different. feta cheese, fresh oregano. give me fresh tomatoes, mayonnaise, toast, i'm happy. that's all i need. it can be breakfast, lunch or

dinner. >> amazing. over here. this is a great appetizer idea. >> great party item for the summer. buy a bunch of cherry tomatoes. at least yellow and red. cut off the tops, scoop out marks an in dentation, well, also a melon scooper. >> take the seeds out. >> mix this up. mayonnaise and horseradish, two to one, three to one ratio, depending how much you love horseradish. this is great. take a plastic baggie. >> pipe it in. >> you don't need a fancy pastry bag. top with a few chives and you're good to go. >> fresh herbs. >> beautiful. great for a party, pop them in your mouth. you don't want hor doevres to cut, you want one bite and you don't want to fill up your guests at the party. >> over here with the tomatoes, heirloom. >> beef steak oil cured tomato. >> why curing them in the oil. >> the oil gets them sort of --

loosens them up a little bit, brings out the fragrance of their flavor. what you do, let them marinate for 20 minutes, then pack them in fresh breadcrumbs. these are panko breadcrumbs. always buy them. they are crunchier. once you use them, you will always use them. i love to use sea salt, adds crunch, plays off the fresh, juicy, citrus quality of tomatoes very well. look who is here. >> they want to try. >> i will give those guys a shot. pop those in your mouth. horseradish mayo sort of dip for the party. >> good. >>hey go well with the gin and tonic. >> i was going to say, what alcohol do you serve with your tomatoes. >> gin and tonic. >> buy tomatoes now, olive oil, sea salt, don't put them in the

refrigerator. >> adam rapoport. >> done. >> done! >> thank you. >> curt cameron is going to be here. he's going to chat with kathie lee and hoda. >> first your local news and weather. have a great day. we're going to keep eating those tomatoes. >> aren't those good? and easy. >> no baking. [ male announcer ] the emotional burden of debt.

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