back now with more of "today" on this monday morning, february 11th, 2013. large portions of the northeast still digging out from a big weekend blizzard. we now have got some rain. i'm willie geist inside studio 1a along with al roker and natalie moras. we have our pick three in a moment. we have a special guest. but we got surprising news this morning, pope benedict resigning. you have some more information on that, natalie. >> that's right. pope benedict xvi made the stunning announcement this morning he will be stepping down. rome bureau chief claudio lavagne joins us now with more.

good morning, claudio. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. even the elements seem to be reacting to his shocking news. there's a storm raging over vatican city just behind me now. it took everybody by surprise, this announcement this morning. it even took by surprise his closest aides, his spokesperson, lombardi, saying in a press conference that he didn't even know about it, and if he didn't know about it, then who would? well, maybe just the closest cardinals he confessed it to. the cardinals, more than 120 now. certainly he made his announcement as if it was a low-key decision. he did that during a fairly small cardinals gathering here in the vatican and he just said, look, i just don't have the strength anymore to carry on my duties. you need both body and mind to carry on the very important duties of the pope and the leader of the billion catholic

church and he just doesn't have the strength anymore. >> claudio lavagne reporting outside vatican city. thank you very much. hoping that a $1 million reward will lead to new clues for the search of former cop christopher dorner, suspected of killing a police officer and a couple engaged to be married. in surveillance video obtained by nbc news, sources say dorner dumped a gun belt, helmet, police uniform and ammunition the morning after the first two murders last weekend. his trial went -- his trail, rather, went cold in the mountains three miles outside of los angeles. it could be at least two days before a carnival cruise ship stranded in the gulf of mexico is towed to the nearest port. the carnival triumph lost power after an engine room fire. nobody was hurt. the ship is relying on a backup generator. the ship left galveston, texas, thursday with more than 4,000 passengers and crew on board. and damage is still being assessed after a huge tornado swept through hattiesburg,

mississippi, sunday. a wave of severe storms downed trees and injured more than 12 people across that state. skiing champion lindsey vonn is recovering this morning after undergoing surgery on her right knee to repair two shredded ligaments. she crashed at the world skiing championships in austria last week. the 28-year-old hopes to be healed in time to represent the u.s. at the 2014 olympics in sochi. even a blizzard couldn't keep moviegoers away from a good comedy. "identity thief," jason bateman and melissa mccarthy debuted took top honors and "warm bodies," zombie romance. >> new genre. >> i know. "side effects" opened in third. >> rom zombies. >> at least they're date noug not eating each other. >> they need romance, too. >> they do. >> natalie, thanks. how about a quick check of

the weather? >> unfortunately we've got another system to talk about, already pounding the northeast. down south, the same system that caused the tornadoes down south is firing up again, rachl amounts anywhere from three to six inches of rain. to the north, we've got more icy conditions making their way to the northeast, bringing sleet and freezing rain to boston, providence and everywhere in between. winter weather advisories up to caribou, maine. freezing rain advisories from >> good morning.ey the steady rain is tapering off. the temperature will be way above average. wish to make it up to

>> and that's your latest weather. >> good, more weather. thanks a lot, al. abby huntsman, host for huff post live and daughter, by the way, of former presidential candidate. good to have you here. >> striking similarities. >> good to be here. >> i covered you and your father's campaign quite a bit. this was a year ago. >> yeah. >> have you kind of stopped to think about what that was like and what it meant to you and your family? did you like being in the public eye that way? >> you know, it was an experience we'll never forget, traveling the country and just seeing democracy at its best. there are some emotional times, though, where you just -- pondering back, you know, there are some tough moments. but it's something that, as a family, we got -- we became so close. and my dad is doing better than ever, you know. >> and some would say it's a bit

of a blessing. >> no regrets, obviously. you can't look back and say what if. a lot of people say, he could have been the one to actually be the president. that's not how we look at t it was an incredible experience for our hole family and are grateful for the opportunity. >> there are still some people in the country that would like to see your dad take another crack at it. >> i'm sure you'll see more of him in the next little while. he has always been the first to say i want to serve my country and help out the party wherever i can. the party has some issues and needs some help and some vision. >> he's thinking about maybe running again? >> i don't know. >> nice try. nice try. >> we'll see a lot more of him. >> get a little bit of a break. >> he's still happily married and that's not what you can always say about politics. >> we'll leave it there for you. take one, big night at the grammys. good night for indy fans. black keys. gauthier, mumford & sons. a lot of them performed, too.

won album of the year. >> that's fun. >> that's fun right there. >> banjo. >> all about the banjo. >> foot stomping. >> the lot of talk, though, besides the winners was about this dress code, right? >> yes, the memo. >> what you could and could not wear. >> what cbs put out. >> what's the puffy skin? >> exactly. what does that mean? >> this was just a case where it was leaked, the memo is sent out every year. >> interesting. i didn't know that. >> you saw a lot of the musicians wore scandalous dresses. >> but the usual. >> the the usual. a lot of cleavage, a lot of side boob. >> that's another category. >> it's a category now. the memo said no side boob. >> beyonce. >> very buttoned up. >> did you like it? >> very nice, black and white. >> no puffiness there.

>> rihanna? >> red dress is absolutely stunning. as you can see, some people say it was a little -- you can see a little something there. it's a little see through. >> little bit see through. i thought she was a little more covered up. >> the guys had no problem with that. >> willie geist has been studying it. >> i'm just looking at it before i comment. >> she had three dresses, i believe. >> she wore a very conservative black dress when she was singing up on stage. >> then j.lo's dress. she actually early on addressed the memo. here was her, about to give an award. >> as you can see, i read the mem memo. >> you look gorgeous. >> there you go. >> angelina had it going on. >> the embarrassing thing, matt wore that this weekend. >> didn't look that good, though. >> casual wear around the house.

>> leg has become the new thing, right? >> got to show the leg. other moments that went viral, kelly clarkson photo bombing ellen and portia de rossi. >> performing on stage and sort of -- >> butterflies came flying out of her dress. >> pretty. i thought it was cool. >> i wondered if i was half asleep or not. >> hallucinating a little bit. did you have a favorite performance? >> elton john and ed shearing. >> right. >> great number. >> alicia keys and avril levigne from maroon five. >> they've been around ten, 15 years. now they can finally get out there and be hrd herd. >> once you win a grammy, are you now still an indy band? >> i don't know. >> i'm thinking underground. take two, melissa mccarthy

getting the last laugh. fans of the actress are rallying to her defense after film critic rex reed called her, to his terms, tractor size and a female hippo, very well-known commentator on film. >> he hasn't been relevant since superman one. the '70s called. you're welcome to go back. >> he still has a column, writes for "the new york observer" talking about her new film "identity thief." >> which one as we said -- ro sweet redemption for her. >> and it would have been better, had it not been for the snow storm. >> she got the last laugh. basically he said melissa mccarthy has made a career by being obese and obnoxious. >> he has made a career being small minded and an idiot. >> hurtful, offensive and masogenistic. >> but also unprofessional. evaluate the movie and not -- >> not comment about someone's size. >> we see it in the world of politics. with chris christie. you don't have to like him. you can disagree with his politics. we see media figures,

politicians making fat jokes about him. >> he is governing right now. it's not as if he's not in good enough shape to be governor. she's entertaining us. we enjoy watching her. who are we to judge what she looks like or what she eats? >> people voted with their pocketbook. >> by the way, she's hilarious. justin bieber was across the street at snl over the weekend, host and musical address and addre guest and addressing head on what you might call scandal about him smoking marijuana. >> i hear he still has his baby teeth. i also heard he got busted for smoking weed and he's really sorry about it and that people make mistakes and he's never going to do it again. >> yeah, right. me, too! okay. >> that qualifies as an apology? >> an explanation perhaps. pretty good, though.

>> it's hard to see someone at the pinnacle of their career stumble like this. but it's how they handle it. i think he did a good job addressing it head on. >> and adding humor, if you can laugh at yourself it's always the way to do it. >> abby huntsman, glad to have you here. >> thank you. >> huntsman in 2016. >> abby is running. >> i just might. the best bargains right now after this. the boys used double miles from their capital one venture card to fly home for the big family reunion. you must be garth's father? hello. mother. mother! traveling is easy with the venture card because you can fly any airline anytime. two words. double miles! this guy can act. wanna play dodge rock? oh, you guys! and with double miles you can actually use, you never miss the fun. beard growing contest and go! ♪ i win!

what's in your wallet? i win! go olive garden's three course italian dinner. just $12.95. choose one of five new entrees like penne di mare with shrimp. plus soup or salad and finish with dessert. 3 courses, just $12.95! go olive garden! ♪ yer always after me lucky charms! whoa. i forgot how good these taste! [ lucky ] ♪ they're magically delicious < band tuning > ♪"suit & tie" ♪

oh, that's exciting. like other precious things that start off white, it yellows over time. when it comes to your smile, if you're not whitening, you're yellowing. crest whitestrips whiten as well as $500 professional treatments. guaranteed. crest 3d white whitestrips. guaranteed. wmeet dream fresh bb cream from? maybelline new york. the instant skin perfector. packed with 8 great skin benefits... maybelline's gelled water oil-free bb smoothes, improves*, hydrates, protects. dream fresh bb maybe it's maybelline. five days later, i had a massive heart attack. bayer aspirin was the first thing the emts gave me. now, i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [ woman ] learn from my story. these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are.

[ male announcer ] fiber one. now to the best things to buy in february.

"today" contributor elizabeth mayhew says february is one of the best months to find deals. elizabeth, good morning. i hope that's true otherwise i don't know why i'm standing behind two dozen roses. why february? >> folks at shop it to me.com did an analysis of 2012 prices online and found that february has crept up as the best deal time. we're talking the highest discounts and even more than that, president's weekend has kind of usurped labor day, which used to be the biggest bang for your buck. next weekend, gear up. there will be really big sales. >> let's get into some of these. where shall we start? >> valentine's day is coming up. the best time to get things for valentine's day is after the holiday. companies are doing things to make it affordable beforehand. 1-800-flowers, if you get roses you'll get six more than you normally would at half price. opposed to $68, you'll get even more roses. browniepoints.com, usually $18.

they're giving it for $11. go to browniepoints.com. fannie mayberrys. they're usually $29.99, and giving it to you for half. they're creating insecentives f you to go out there. facebook sweepstakes. you go and post pictures of your loved ones on godiva. it's called share the love and win chocolate for all your facebook friends plus 25% off your first purchase. incentivizing the deals. >> macy's is doing something cool. february is also heart month. >> a lot of companies are doing this. macy's in particular, if you buy their pin, wear red or buy red campaign, buy a pin for $2. they'll give you 20% off your purchases. you don't have to buy just red stuff. it applies to everything in the store. again, that money goes -- it's celebrating their ten-year commitment to heart health. >> 20% off, wow. >> there will be other deals on

top of that. you can bank some of these deals. >> the consumer electronics show was last month in january. that means lower prices on electronics in february? >> 2012 pricing, yeah. take, for example, best buy the nikon cool pics, a $259 camera, now $99. unbelievable. $100 off other things. great prices on phones. even target has also great deals for this nikon, $100 off. it's usually $399. now $299. >> you have a couple of toy boats here. but february say good time to buy a real boat. >> we couldn't get a real boat into the studio especially given the storm. i talked to the editor in chief of boating.com. boat shows are happening right now. it's a great time for you to negotiate dealer, cross dealer, go aisle to aisle and get those great incentives like free docking for a year, all of that. if you're in a market for the boat, also you'll get it for the season. get your boat in time. >> tv, good time now.

>> it used to be november. if you missed the super bowl deals, you're okay. amazon is giving you 25% off. plus they'll install for free. coats, 50% off coats from land's end even cool places like see wonder and prom dress. >> now prom dress? >> buy them now. they're in the store. they start at $70 at kohl's and burlington coat factory starts at $25 plus. they'll give a dollar to womenheart.org for every dress you buy. >> february is the month. elizabeth, thank you. keeping your love life hot after these messages. what makes your family smile?

backflips and cartwheels. love, warmth. here, try this. mmmm, ok! ching! i like the fact that there's lots of different tastes going on. mmmm! breakfast i'm very impressed. this is a great cereal! honey bunches of oats. i hear you crunching. waiting for your wrinkle cream to work? clinically proven neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it targets fine lines and wrinkles with the fastest retinol formula available. you'll see younger looking skin in just one week. one week? that's just my speed. rapid wrinkle repair. and for dark spots rapid tone repair. from neutrogena®. progress-oh! [ female announcer ] with 40 delicious progresso soups at 100 calories or less, there are plenty of reasons

people are saying "progress-oh!" share your progress-oh! story on facebook. now you can help too. when you buy a bag of pedigree, you'll help more shelter dogs go home. join us. feed your dog pedigree. and you'll help us feed more shelter dogs. - at dole, we start with the best fruit, pack it in %100 juice,

and let the award-winning taste speak for itself. dole fruit bowls. made simply, so they're simply delicious. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

[ female announcer ] nothing gets you going quite like the power of quaker oats. today is going to be epic. quaker up. and we're back with david jones, latest contestant to get cut from the ranch from nbc's hit show ""the biggest loser." good morning. >> good morning. how are you, sir? >> i'm obviously doing great but you are doing wonderfully. when you were on the ranch you couldn't run. did you that put you at a disadvantage, do you think? >> huge disadvantage. not just competitively but strategically. i didn't get to become as part

of the team. when they were out doing stuff, building those relationships. >> but it's not hurting your efforts. you lost 57 pounds on the ranch but now you're how many pounds -- >> i weigh every friday and only fridays. 96 pounds. >> wow! originally at 307. >> down to 211 as of friday. >> on a goal to losing what? >> i want to get around to the 175 mark, which is what my goal is. >> you're a police officer. so being fit is really part of the job, too, right? >> it's one of the things that really got me to get on the scale. i was a disastrous failed foot pursuit that made me decide that i've got to -- >> you have a daughter with special needs. >> yeah. >> you say losing all this weight has helped you take care of her. how so? >> one of the things i realized especially when i got back was how much easier it was to lift her, put her in bed or her stroller or whatever. what happens 20, 30 years from now when she's still around? i've got to be physically fit.

every parent of a special needs child. >> good for you. >> great, great job. keep it going. >> that's right. biggest loser airs tonight at 8:00, 7:00 central here on nbc. . while managing their schedule with my producing partner. i set up kid's corner so they can learn and play games without deleting my stuff. "working mom" is sometimes a tough role to play, but it's definitely the one i was born for. [ clattering, children laughing ] and...action. that's me. and this is my windows phone. [ male announcer ] now buy one nokia lumia 920 for just $99.99 and get a second one free at at&t. ♪ shimmy, shimmy chocolate. ♪ shimmy, shimmy chocolate. ♪ we, we chocolate cross over. ♪ yeah, we chocolate cross over. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing fiber one 80 calorie chocolate cereal. ♪ chocolate.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> the average high temperature is 44. we will make it into the mid- fifties, with mostly cloudy skies. still a chance for rain showers. seven-day forecast -- clearing up tomorrow. chance for rain or snow on wednesday.

the snow has turned to rain here in new york city. we're back now with more of "today" on a monday morning. i'm willie geist alongside al roker and natalie morales. fighting a cold with natural remedies, vitamin c, chicken soup and zinc. which of those may work and may not work. how to bring a little romance and passion back into your day, especially with valentine's day coming up. we'll meet a woman who wanted carrie bradshaw's "sex and the city" life and ended up living with a rabbi. >> there's a story there. >> a woman and a rabbi walk into

a bar. >> explain that one. let's check the weather. >> european model bringing a storm system through the southeast later today and then offshore by some time wednesday night into early thursday morning. now, this model brings it off mostly some lighter snow and no problems. the american models keep it closer and colder and actually suggesting a little bit stronger of a storm. we'll have to wait and see what happens. right now we know we have icing conditions in parts of southern new england. snow in northern new england. wet weather up and down the east coast, down into the gulf coast. look for snow in the central rockies. beautiful day in the pacific northwest underly partly sunny skies. 63 partly sunny in los angelessu >> good morning. just scattered light rain showers expected. otherwise, mostly cloudy and mild.

>> that's your latest weather. natalie? >> al, thank you. on "today's" relationships, bringing back the romance. michelle callahan is the author of "ms. typed: stop sabotaging your relationships and find dating success." good morning, ladies. >> good morning. >> judith, let me start with you. we know what romance feels like. when you try to put it into words it's hard to define. >> that spark between two people. it could be a moment. could be a mood. but it leads to some feeling of -- i would call it positive,

emotional arousal. >> emotional arousal, michelle, as opposed to sexual arousal here? because there's a difference. >> yes. you can have sex without romance but you can also have romance without sex. we want people to know it's okay to be -- you don't have to be sexually active to have romance in your life, to have romantic interactions. >> so whether it's with a stranger, having that little interaction, or with your spouse of some 40 years, it's about bringing that spark back. and little things, right? >> it's a little juice. and you can create it. you can create an opportunity to do it. you need a little imagination, a little flirtation and the willingness to touch. those three things, doesn't matter whether you have a 40-year partner or four-minute. you have something going. >> some people, though, may fear rejection or they may just have put romance by the wayside. they just don't feel romantic anymore. how do you kind of approach whoever it is you're trying to be romantic with and kind of get

that back? >> if you're shut down, yourself, it will involve taking a little bit of lift. we're talking eye contact. we're talking eye smile at a stranger in the coffee shop. >> little things, yeah. >> just that to keep yourself out there and alive. this is the icing on our cake. you don't have to do without that icing any time in life. >> it's just a smile. if the person doesn't smile back you can keep moving. chances are they will. that opens up the opportunity for more interaction. >> you have to be willing to take a risk, right? >> absolutely. >> when we think of romance, sometimes we get older, we often don't think as older people as having that romantic spark. >> the people that do not think that older people don't have that romantic spark are our children. >> we just don't want to think about that maybe. >> and i say don't tell them. but the fact is, that spark is there. if you got that spark going and when you get that spark back,

it's going in the home. it can carry us out of the home, that spark. >> i would imagine that romance would get better with age. >> it certainly can. for some people they have changes that make them feel less confident. they go through biological changes, hormonal changes. it can actually keep going and we can keep it moving if you just stay confident and just, you know, be creative with it. >> keep one huge thing in mind. romance is appreciating somebody else. it's not about me and what i look like and what my -- it's about you and the fact that i think you're adorable and i just might tell you today because that feels good to both of us. >> we were talking on friday -- we did a whole -- we talked about this survey in a book and they basically say communication really is the key to bringing that romance back. >> express the feeling. express the thought. it's a low-risk, high-reward thing to do. >> just talking can be very flirtatious. that communication, as you were

saying before, just a little bit of touch. the study also talked about affection. even like you said, a touching of the hand. a touching of the elbow. >> a wink, a hug. instead of shaking hands, what if you give them a hug and a side kiss? that's very romantic. >> the eyes are going. >> i'm working it. >> it's working. i'm feeling the connection. judith stills and michelle callahan, thank you. happy valentine's day. >> happy valentine's day to you. >> thanks. coming up, cold remedies that work, right after this. mor. i love bread. i love cheese. did i say i love chocolate? i'm human! and the new weight watchers 360 program lets me be. the reason i'm still in this body feelin' so good isn't because i never go out and enjoy the extra large, extra cheese world we live in. it's because i do. and you can too. because when a weight loss program is built for human nature you can expect amazing. introducing the new weight watchers 360 program. join for free and expect amazing.

because it works. join for free and expect amazing. if yyou've got thegood whenwrong toilet paper.room, you want it to get you clean... gently. as long as i use quilted northern ultra plush® i'm happy... and positive i'm clean. quilted northern ultra plush with the innerlux layer. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back. it's not a candy bar. 130 calories 7 grams of protein the new fiber one caramel nut protein bar. i'm maria, and i have diabetic nerve pain. i felt like my feet were going to sleep. it was like pins and needles sticking in your toes and in your feet. it progressed from there to burning

like i was walking on hot coals. at that point, i knew i had to do something. when i went to see my doctor, she chose lyrica. once i started taking the lyrica, the pain started subsiding. [ female announcer ] it's known that diabetes damages nerves. lyrica is fda approved to treat diabetic nerve pain. lyrica is not for everyone. it may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior. or swelling, trouble breathing, rash, hives, blisters, changes in eye sight including blurry vision, muscle pain with fever, tired feeling, or skin sores from diabetes. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. those who've had a drug or alcohol problem may be more likely to misuse lyrica. having less pain... it's a wonderful feeling. [ female announcer ] ask your doctor about lyrica today. it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. to hear more patient stories, visit lyrica.com.

it's specific treatment for diabetic nerve pain. dare to go big & bold or slim & sexy. new master duo liquid liner from maybelline new york. with our unique dual tip, go from thick to thin with just one twist. in 6 glossy shades i dare you. new master duo thin or thick liner maybe it's maybelline. [ female announcer ] eggo waffles are a great way to get your family together for breakfast. in fact, they might work too well. [ ding! ] [ shuffling, scooting ] [ clears throat ] [ children laugh ] [ female announcer ] golden, crispy outside. warm and fluffy inside. we are one good-looking family. [ children laugh ]

[ female announcer ] eggo waffles. simply delicious. this morning on "today's" health, natural cold remedies. dr. roshini raj is "today" contributor and professor at new york's langnone medical center. >> some work, some don't. this is cold and flu season. people want relief. >> let's start with echinacea. >> been around hundreds of years as a cold remedy but scientific

evidence doesn't back it up. studies have been mixed at best. when we look at it carefully, there's not been a benefit shown of shortening the duration or symptoms of the cold. people with asthma, it can be made worse by taking echinacea or if you have an allergy to something like ragweed. you have to be careful with that one. >> zinc. i always heard got a sore throat, take some zinc. >> studies have been mixed. although recently a larger view of the different study did show some benefit, shortening the duration of a cold by one day. children who take zinc regularly have less colds during the winter. >> take it, in a sense, prophylactically. >> sprays have been linked to a permanent loss of smell. >> that's not good. >> not good at all. fda did issue a warning a couple of years ago. >> you don't hear that a lot. >> you don't. it's not a fun thing when you lose your sense of smell. >> i got it.

vitamin c. >> again, something people have been talking about for many years, whether it's in orange juice, oranges or the actual vitamin c supplement. here again the studies haven't shown a great benefit. one exception, i will say, is that people who exercise or are doing very strenuous things in cold temperatures, people in the military or marathon runners who run outside, construction worker, there has been a benefit shown to taking vitamin c every day to prevent colds. >> in a supplement or as a -- juice form? >> that was in a supplement, yeah. for the average person, probably not going to show a big benefit. yeah. >> all-time fave, chicken soup. >> this one actually does work. surprisingly. studies have shown that chicken soup -- they're not exactly sure which ingredient, but it has some anti-inflammatory effects and helps the passage of mucus, which can decongest you. >> and it makes you feel better. there's a psychological benefit?

>> oh, sure, the comfort. >> mom made it for us. >> grandma's chicken soup. >> i'm not being fresh here but what about honey? >> well now that you mention it, it's one of those remedies that actually works. anti-cough properties. it works well for children as well. it also helps soothe an achy or irritating throat and can help with the clearing of mucus in the back of your throat. >> little-known fact, honey is the one food that will never, ever go bad. actually found them in the pyramids and they were still good. >> honey sometimes contains something, toxin, never use it for a child under 1. >> got it. >> this is one of the if disgusting things. >> i think it looks cute. >> it's what you do with it. it's not like, ooh, aladdin, i would like to run water through my nose. >> the idea here is saline rinse. using salt water to rinse out the nasal package passage, squie

or neti pot. i've used it myself. >> what does it do? >> basically you hold it up, tilt your head back and pour water into your nose to rinse out mucus, virus part icles as well. pregnant women -- >> i didn't want to take any cold medicine while i was pregnant and it actually helped. >> do you still do it? >> i do. >> there you go! >> warning with this one, make sure the water you're using is either boiled, distilled or sterile. there have been reports of people getting infections from impure water. >> humidifiers. >> cold viruses thrive in dry environment. keep your house as humid as possible, especially your bedroom. nasal passages can get dried out. steam shower works just as well. this is when you get it all night. >> you have to make sure these are clean, too. >> replace the water daily and clean the machine. they can harbor mold, fungus, bacteria. >> then you have to pour this through your nose, take a

spoonful of honey. dr. roshini raj, thank you very much. >> thank you. one woman's search for "the >> thank you. one woman's search for "the sex and the ♪ ♪ "love" a collection by prabal gurung, exclusively at target. for a limited time. [ man ] excuse me miss. [ gasps ] this fiber one 90 calorie brownie has all the deliciousness you desire. the brownie of your dreams is now deliciously real. the brownie of your dreams cnow with added whitening....

and concentrated formula. to clean and whiten laundry better than ever. stress sweat is different than ordinary sweat. it smells worse. get 4x the protection against stress sweat. introducing new secret clinical strength stress response scent. get 4x the protection against stress sweat. new honey bunches of oats greek yohere we go.ole grain. honey cornflakes and chunks of greek yogurt. i'm tasting both the yogurt and the honey at the same time. i'm like digging this yogurt thing. i feel healthy. new honey bunches of oats greek.

go olive garden's three course italian dinner, just $12.95. choose one of five new entrees like parmesan potato crusted chicken. plus soup or salad and finish with dessert. 3 courses, just $12.95! go olive garden! ♪ you have to let me know [ female announcer ] when sweet and salty come together,

the taste is irresistible. sweet and salty nut bars by nature valley. nature at its most delicious. sweet and salty nut bars by nature valley. nature's true celebrities aren't always the most obvious. it's more than being glamorous, or tall. it's not all about who sparkles the most. or who is the best dressed. what nature really cares about is what you have to offer. like the stevia plant. small and humble with a surprising secret to share... sweetness. truvia sweetener. zero-calorie sweetness, born from the stevia leaf. from nature, for sweetness. journalist rebecca dana

thought she had it all, the boyfriend, the apartment in new york city. when her relationship ended pretty abruptly, she moved sbout found a new home with cosmo, an orthodox rabbi. her new book "the jujitsu rabbi and the godless blond." good to see you. >> good to see you. >> we'll get to the identity of the jujitsu rabbi. you're raised in pittsburgh. >> yes. >> jewish but -- >> i was nerdy as a kid, went to space camp twice. >> did you really? >> i really did. i spent a lot of time alone in my room in our little house in a cul-de-sac and growing up and being a fabulous character like i saw on tv on "sex and the city." >> in many ways you grew up to

become that person. you moved to new york city, got the job, went to the glamorous parties. did the reality live up to what your dream had been? >> in some ways it really did. i got here. it was a glamorous, fabulous exciting life although i was way too poor to afford the shoes that carrie bradshaw wore. as i spent a few years going to these parties and writing about fashion and media, it occurred to me that it was unfulfilling in some pretty big ways. >> now things get interesting. you break up with your boyfriend. >> everything kind of crashed in on my head at the same time, which seemed to me in that moment the worst thing that had ever happened to anyone ever. i've now realized it happens to absolutely everybody at some point in their 20s. >> and craigslist actually brought you together and changed your life with this guy we're calling him cosmo. a russian orthodox rabbi, who practices jujitsu. >> electric bass, listening to punk rock and, without question,

the funniest human being i've ever met. >> you room in, become roommates. you didn't date. >> no. >> what did you learn from him? >> cosmo called this our cultural exchange. i would take him to movie premieres and parties in manhattan and he would take me to dinners and introduce me to other members of this ultra orthodox, very traditional, religious community. it was kind of an odd couple story of our time together. i really -- i went into this community having a lot of, i would say, misconceptions and prejudices about what their lives were like. i'm not proud of it, but it's true. in getting to meet especially the women in the ultra orthodox community, i was totally blown away. these are beautiful, thoughtful, intelligent, kind, warm women who were my age and had three, four, five kids and were, in many cases, very happy. >> did cosmo and that community then change your idea of what the dream was? did it become less about the carrie bradshaw life because of

cosmo? >> there are still a lot of perks to the carrie bradshaw life. it opened my eyes to an idea of community and family as being the center of your world. spending less time thinking about fancy things and glamorous parties and a little more time thinking about the people around me and my family is what matters most. >> cosmo has read the book? >> he has. >> what does he think? >> i don't want to give away too much about cosm he has had a pretty remarkable transformation that you get sort of at the end but he had lots of notes and opinions along the way. one of his thoughts, which i perhaps stupidly followed was he encouraged me to put my actual e-mail in the book in case there are any women out there who would like to go on a date with him. i would like to say to all of america, if anyone would like to date cosmo, i can set you up. >> he sounds like a catch and he has the jujitsu thing going, which doubles it. >> exactly. >> congratulations on the book. >> thank you so much. >> we're back with more of "today" on nbc.

coming up tomorrow on "today," al's psa. >> that's right. "today" takes action. we're helping out the ad council, 70th anniversary. my psa is one that i will say is very timely. >> absolutely. and hits close to home for so many people. >> yes. also, the real house wives of beverly hills, brandy. coming up next, kathie lee and hoda take over l.a. after your local news and weather. . . . .