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    Charlene Prince Birkeland, Team Mom

    Charlene Prince Birkeland, Team Mom

  • Cooking with Kids: Make Dinner Time Your Family Destination

    The thought of having your kids help you cook dinner might make you dizzy. The mess! The chaos! But teaching kids to love cooking doesn't have to be a disaster. On the contrary, it helps empower children while helping them learn to love new foods. A recent study by the University of Alberta showed that kids who help prepare meals make healthier food choices. An added benefit? It could help make your dinner hour more civilized. Easy Does It host Ereka Vetrini talks to Melissa Lanz of The Fresh 20 and learns how cooking dinner together as family can become the best part of the day. ...

  • Easy Does It: Can the Right Pair of Jeans Make You Look 5 Pounds Lighter? Yes!

    Those elusive five pounds in your weight loss program are driving you nuts. Is there an easier way to shave those last few pounds from your body? Yes, and you don't even have to try the latest fad like the Starbucks Diet. Instead, the solution may be as simple as wearing the right pair of jeans that create the illusion of weight loss. Easy Does It host Erkea Vetrini went shopping with stylist Clare Mukerjee and learned the secrets to finding jeans to that give your body an instant lift and can make you look five pounds lighter. ...

  • Bento-inspired School Lunches Your Kids Will Really Eat!

    The kids have only been back at school for a few weeks. Are you already tired of packing their lunches? In a recent survey by Coupons.com, 50 percent of moms with school-age children said that shopping for and packing their kid's lunches causes them serious stress. While a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich can turn into a school controversy, the biggest hurdle is more likely to be your own kids and their refusal to eat what you're serving up. ...

  • VIDEO: What Does Ryan Lochte's Mom Want in a Daughter in Law?

    Olympian Ryan Lochte's love life is perhaps as hot a topic as his swimming skills. But before things get too serious with any lady love, there's one person any future Mrs. Ryan Lochte will have to win over: his mom. Team Mom on Shine has the exclusive on what Ilena Lochte wants in a daughter in law. Also on Shine: Ryan Lochte on Speedos and his biggest cheerleader How tough is it to become an Olympian? 7 lessons kids can learn from Olympic athletes

  • Raising an Olympian: Gabrielle Douglas

    When Gabrielle Douglas was 12 years old, she asked her mom if she could move 3,000 miles away from home to train with an elite gymnastics coach. Her mom said no, but finally relented two years later. Now 16, the gymnast is leading Team USA at 2012 London Games and is working to make her childhood dreams come true.Known as Gabby to her friends, Douglas was only three years old when her older sister, who was taking gymnastics, taught her a few moves. "I was the baby sister that could do all the tricks," says Douglas, who is the youngest of four children. ...

  • Team Mom Pep Talk with Heather Wajer: Teaching Our Kids by Example

    "Anything is possible" is the mantra for those who compete in any Ironman race. The phrase often sounds cliche when it rolls off of our tongues as we say it to our kids or to our friends. Sometimes we even have to convince ourselves to believe in it. But for single mom and Ironman triathlete Heather Wajer, the adage goes beyond running, swimming and cycling; it's the story of her life.

  • Raising an Olympian: Jordyn Wieber

    Sixteen-year-old world-champion gymnast Jordyn Wieber views herself as a normal teenager. Known for her fighting spirit and fierce work ethic, the young phemon is anything but average. She's vying for a spot on Team USA this weekend at the U.S. Olympic Trials in San Jose, Calif. How does Wieber survive pressure that has the potential to be all-consuming? According to her mom, it's all about laughter."I always think about Jordyn up on a beam with cameras in her face and 12,000 people watching, and knowing she's on live television," says Rita Wieber. ...

  • Raising an Olympian: LoLo Jones

    World champion LoLo Jones will be making news this weekend, and it won't be focused on her dating life. Instead, she'll show off her speed and fighting spirit as she makes her third attempt to qualify for Team USA. Her ultimate goal: Winning gold at the 2012 London Games to make her mom proud of the champion she created.Jones, 29, will compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials for Track and Field, being held in Eugene, Ore. on June 22-July 1. "By the time London Olympics comes," she says, "I'll be running for 12 years, devoting two to four hours every day for a race that lasts 12 seconds. ...

  • Swimmer Ryan Lochte on Speedos and His Biggest Cheerleader...His Mom

    A few weeks ago we profiled U.S. gold medal swimmer Ryan Lochte. If you're not used to seeing his face in the news yet, get ready. According to The New York Times, Lochte "is being groomed to be a breakout Olympic superstar" at the 2012 London Games this summer.The Thread recently had a chance to interview Lochte and his mom, Ileana. Lochte talks about his favorite personal items that he can't live without and his special bond with his mom. Superstar power? We think so.

  • Raising an Olympian: Alicia Sacramone

    U.S. gymnast Alicia Sacramone is attempting a comeback this weekend. And according to her mom, it's all about "unfinished business."The medal run has been bumpy, at best, for the world-champion athlete. Sacramone was the captain for the U.S. gymnastics team at the 2008 Beijing Games, which won the silver medal. But during individual competitions at the Beijing Games, Sacramone tumbled several times in her quests for gold -- from a fall off the balance beam to a misstep and spill during her floor exercise. ...

  • Raising an Olympian: Henry Cejudo

    For U.S. champion wrestler Henry Cejudo, the road to the 2012 London Olympics was as much for his mom as it was for him. But Cejudo's plans to have his mom watch him in London were thwarted when he fell short; in April 2012, he lost a key match at the semifinals of the U.S. Olympic Trials. In a quick but dramatic moment after losing, he removed his wrestling shoes while still on the mat -- a long-standing tradition that signifies an athlete's retirement -- and then threw them to the cheering crowd. ...

  • U.S. Gymnast Shawn Johnson Retires

    U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson closed the door on her competitive career. She announced her retirement over the weekend, citing problems with her left knee making it difficult for her to train properly for the 2012 London Games."I still have the heart, drive, and desire to compete and help the USA at the London Olympics," Johnson said in a statement issued by USA Gymnastics. Unfortunately, it has become obvious that my left knee is not able to sustain the demands of gymnastics any longer. All I can do now is gracefully retire and thank everyone who has believed in me and my journey. ...

  • Raising an Olympian: Diana Lopez

    U.S. taekwando medalist Diana Lopez is a fierce competitor. But if she enters a match with any trepidation, Lopez uses her mom's advice to battle through her fears; she thinks of her opponent as a snake that she needs to destroy. Does it work? We say yes. Lopez won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games and will kick it up in the ring this summer at the 2012 London Games.Photos:The opponent as snake metaphor stems from Lopez's mom deep fear of the slithery reptile. Growing up, she couldn't even watch television if a snake were on the screen. ...

  • Raising an Olympian: Kortney Clemons

    The phrase "faith and determination" is often used to describe the force that powers certain individuals to accomplish amazing feats. For U.S. Paralympian sprinter Kortney Clemons, it's not only an accurate description; it's inherent to his life because of his mom."My mom, she told us that everyday you get another opportunity to make your life better. Some days, you may not get as far as you would like to but you learn from those days and you continue to use that to go through life. ...

  • Team Mom Pep Talk with Mia Hamm: Snack Ideas from the Ultimate Soccer Mom

    U.S. gold medalist and soccer player extraordinaire Mia Hamm is as competitive as an athlete can be. Team Mom on Yahoo! Shine recently spoke with her by phone while she was playing in a golf tournament with her college coaches. "We have one more hole and we're in the hunt," said Hamm as she hit pause our chat to, as she put it, "go knock the snot out of the ball." It made us love her even more.VIDEO: Raising an Olympian: Kerri Walsh-JenningsKnowing how much Hamm likes to win, it's hard to imagine that growing up, she was a quitter. ...

  • Raising an Olympian: Ryan Lochte

    VIDEOWorld champion swimmer Ryan Lochte readily admits that, as a kid, he liked to goof around. In fact, the three-time gold medalist made an effort to get kicked out of swim practice...every day. The only problem? Lotche's mom was his first swim coach. And she knew that forcing him to swim would only cause him to quit.Related: When is it okay for your kids to quit a sport?Ileana Lotche recalls watching a young Ryan, about four or five years old, at his first swim meet. He raced and beat out kids who were several years older than he. ...

  • Raising an Olympian: Kerri Walsh-Jennings

    When US beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh-Jennings sets foot in the sand, she's playing to win. It's just one of many life lessons instilled in her by mom, who inspires Walsh-Jennings every day -- on and off the volleyball court."My mom, to me, is a force of nature," says Walsh-Jennings in the Procter & Gamble original video series, "Raising an Olympian." "I take her with me when I go play. I want her heart. I want her tenacity, and I want her commitment to win at all cost. And I think I have that. ...

  • Raising an Olympian: Shawn Johnson

    U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson is once again going for gold. And just like her previous attempts to achieve success in her sport, she knows that win or lose, there is one person who will always be cheering her on: her mom.In the Procter & Gamble original video series, "Raising an Olympian," Johnson talks about how her mom, Teri, provided her with constant motivation in her pursuit of a gold medal. "My mom taught me from when I was little that you have to have a balance in life. ...

  • 5 Things Parents Shouldn't Say to Their Kids

    It's no secret that parents should pay attention to how they communicate with their children. Even tiger moms and parents following the French style of raising children could agree that what we say to our kids -- and how we say it -- matters. Tiger moms and French parents get the results they want largely because of what they say. But besides using words to get kids to do what they want, how moms and dads communicate with their kids directly impacts the parent-child relationship long term. ...

  • Get Stains Out of Sports Uniforms like a Pro

    It's a proud moment as parents watch their kids take the field in their crisp, clean uniforms during Little League season. Baseballs are hit, bases stolen, and runs scored. And then parental pride turns to wonder, as in: "How are we ever going to get those grass and dirt stains out of that uniform?" With youth baseball pants ranging in price from $15-$50, mom and dad have good reason to want to preserve those uniforms for a full season.Related: Little-known baseball facts to impress the kids