flickr, protoflux

Here’s something you may not know about me: I don’t particularly enjoy exercise. It’s not so much the act of exercising as it is the sweating, shortness of breath, and time that it takes to exercise. So, I just forgo it all together.

But, after seeing all of my friends stepping up and running marathons, half marathons, 25Ks and so much more, I felt a call to action. So, I’ve all but decided that I’ll be running a 5K in August. Here’s the thing about me running this 5K: I haven’t ran since high school. I mean, not really. In high school, I was in track, and was physically fit. That was a long time ago, and I’ve been a little… well… stagnant in the exercise department since then. Here’s another thing: I was never really a runner anyway. When I was in track, I high jumped. And long jumped. But, didn’t participate in any actual races after my Sophomore year.

I’m in for a treat. I also have no idea where to even start! Any suggestions?

I’ll be running in the Grand Rapids Color Run on Saturday, August 5th! Should be a really fun event. If you want to join in on it, check out their website.

Here’s an idea of what I’ll be getting myself into.

YouTube

I remember being a kid, and my parents having to resort to some pretty extreme measures to hide Christmas and birthday presents from my brother and I. We were so good at discovering their hiding places, that eventually, they had to lock them in a cabinet so that we couldn’t get to them.

I wish we had known this little girl back then. There would have been no such thing as a snoop-proof present.

What 5-year-old do you know that can pick a lock? Where in the world to her parents hide her presents?

On a different note, she quite possibly has the coolest dad in the entire world.

I wonder if her dad has her pick locks for him when he’s playing Skyrim?

YouTube

Jorge Narvaez and his daughter Alexa stole the hearts of everyone in the audience and on the judges’ panel on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ Jorge, clutching a guitar, introduced the world to his tiny tyke in footage of her getting a piggyback ride from her pops and telling cameras, “My daddy is my favorite singer in the whole entire universe!”

Alexa immediately charmed Sharon Osbourne, who waved and smiled at her. “I’m scared,” Alexa said with a smile at the beginning of their performance. “It’s a lot of people — 609!” Judge Howard Stern assured her, “You have many friends here,” to which the adorable lil’ angel grinned and said, “Okay, I won’t be scared!”

She and her proud papa took deep breaths and then began to whistle, then broke into song, ‘Home Is Wherever I’m With You.’ The crowd went pretty nuts for the cute duo, and the judges were equally pleased. Osbourne asked Alexa her age and how long she’d been singing (for the record, she’s 7 and has been singing since she was “about one year old,” per her calculations). Fellow judge Howie Mandel revealed he’d actually seen Alexa and Jorge on YouTube (their cover of the song has garnered 20 million hits and counting), while Stern had some too cute banter with the pint sized powerhouse.

After Osbourne explained the concept of voting to the sequin-sporting singer, the judges did just that — unanimously agreeing to send the proud fam to Las Vegas. Even notorious smack talker Stern had kind words for the pair, telling them, “This has been, by far, the most touching moment on the show for me.”

Watch the adorable and talented father-daughter team below!

Watch Jorge + Alexa Narvaez Perform ‘Home Is Wherever I’m With You’ on ‘America’s Got Talent’

Source: PopCrush.com

YouTube

There comes a time in every babies life when he or she gets bit by the dancing bug.  In J-Si’s case, his son Cason caught dancing fever at 4 months.  After watching a fellow toddler in his daycare, Cason began to imatate some of his dance moves.  Watch the full video after the break.

For more videos of JSi, Jenna, Al, Kelli, and Kidd, check out Kiddnation.com

Christopher Polk, Getty Images

It’s official! Demi Lovato is now an ‘X Factor‘ judge.

TMZ reports that Lovato, like fellow new judge Britney Spears, will hit up New York City to finalize her paperwork for the gig tomorrow (May 14). Though Lovato is scheduled to tour this summer, her ‘X Factor’ position shouldn’t interfere with her itinerary. Lovato will join Spears at the Fox Upfronts, where they will officially announce their casting on the series.

Lovato will likely be a great addition to the somewhat struggling Fox show, as she’ll draw in a younger demographic as well as be able to draw upon her own unique and sometimes dark experiences to coach contestants.

While Spears is said to be raking in $15 million for the show, Lovato’s payday isn’t yet known. She’s only been in talks for a pretty short time — the first reports of her involvement only popped up about two weeks ago, whereas Spears’ name had been swirling about for months. Auditions are scheduled to begin at the end of this month.

Lovato may not be the only Disney alum to sign on, either. Her pal and fellow Mouse House starlet Miley Cyrus is in talks to be the show’s new hostess with the mostess. Congrats, Demz!

Watch Demi Lovato, ‘Skyscraper’ Video

Source: PopCrush.com

Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic

Jessica Simpson is sure to have beautiful baby photos with Maxwell Drew, born May 1 — between her own flawless face and her hot hubby’s good looks, how could she not? The kid hit the genetic jackpot! But will her new daughter’s first photos be profitable, too?

You bet, but not for as much as some other stars. The Daily Mail reports that Simpson sold the rights to Maxwell’s first photos for a cool $800,000. That’s a ton of money for most of us, but comparative chump change in the world of celebrity babies. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt raked in a whopping $11 million for photos of their twins, Vivienne and Knox, while fellow reality TV judge Jennifer Lopez took in $6 million for the first pics of her and Marc Anthony’s adorable twins Max and Emme.

Maxwell Drew’s photos, like the other famous tots’, will appear in PEOPLE. If you’re wondering why there’s such a difference in Simpson’s baby’s payday from the previous celebs, keep in mind that Simpson’s fiance and Maxi’s dad, Eric Johnson, barely garners a blip on the fame radar, whereas Marc Anthony is a Grammy winner and Brad Pitt is, well, Brad Pitt. When two stars get together to make a spawn, there’s more money and interest than when only one parent is famous.

Don’t feel too bad for Jess, though. The starlet, who, like any normal person, gained a bit of pregnancy weight, signed a deal with Weight Watchers to shed it all — for a nice $3 million! Not only that, but her fashion line is said to have pulled about $1 billion, so our girl’s laughing all the way to the bank — and to Etsy, where she’s reportedly been buying some accessories for her sure-t0-be-stylish little girl.

I’m addicted to buying headbands w massive flowers for Maxwell on etsy! She is insanely beautiful I can’t help but play dress up!

— Jessica Simpson (@JessicaSimpson) May 12, 2012

Watch Jessica Simpson, ‘With You’ Video

Source: PopCrush.com

YouTube

Alanis Morissette has been back in the studio cranking out her awesome angst ridden 90′s ballads.  This type of music has been an after thought for a long time now.  But she’s back with the a very recognizable sound!  Check out her new song, Guardian, after the break.

Havoc and Bright Lights is the name of the album that will be released on Tuesday, May 15th.  This will be Alanis’ first album since 2008.  Welcome back Alanis Morissette!

Jemal Countess, Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson was so moved by the cancer patients (and nurses) at Seattle Children’s Hospital filming a video of themselves singing the empowering lyrics to her smash hit ‘Stronger’ that she recorded a video response. How sweet of her, right?

In the video, a visibly touched Clarkson gushes, “That was so amazing. It made my day. Everyone has been watching and talking about it. It is so beautiful and wonderful. I can’t wait to meet you. It was the coolest thing to watch.”

The patients and hospital admin are beyond stoked that Clarkson was aware of their video and that she taped her own message for them. There is footage of one patient talking about how she and friends would blast the song and sing along in the car.

We were moved by the spirit and resilience of the patients who made this video and we give major props to Kelly Clarkson for taking time out of her day to acknowledge how her music helped these kids. It’s a heartwarming clip in every sense.

Let’s hope Clarkson stops by the hospital to sing the song and give the kids their own private concert.

Watch Kelly Clarkson’s Response to Seattle Children’s Hospital ‘Stronger’ Video

Source: PopCrush.com

Getty Images

Kidd Kraddick in the Morning talked to Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan of Karmin about their latest single, Brokenhearted.  The two college sweethearts were discovered on YouTube after releasing a cover of Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass.  Karmin fuses hip-hop elements with a pop beat and strong vocals.

In the interview with Kidd Kraddick, Amy and Nick discuss their engagement and the difficulties behind being a young couple in the limelight.  The duo also talks about how they met, and they close the interview with details about a few upcoming shows.

Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Interviews Karmin

Karmin covers Super Bass – Nicki Minaj

Brokenhearted – Karmin

YouTube

Kelly Clarkson‘s smash single ‘Stronger’ took on an entirely new meaning when the patients on the hemoncology floor of Seattle’s Children Hospital filmed a video of them singing the powerful lyrics.

Even the nurses get in on the fun, singing and dancing down the halls. Music really can lift people up when used right!

There are lots of shots of the close-cropped patients singing the words, but more importantly, they are showing off and demonstrating their resilience. It is a true testament to the infallibility of the human spirit.

These kids show that they can have fun and be moved by music even when dealing with something as tough as cancer. It’s super cute and will brighten your mood — especially seeing  sick kids having fun and trying to enjoy life, thanks to music.

What a powerful video! God bless all these kids. We hope they beat the odds.

Clarkson even loves it.

Oh my goodness y’all have to see this! It’s beautiful! I can’t wait to visit these kids and nurses! It’s Seattle Child… say.ly/erx3gkf

— Kelly Clarkson (@kelly_clarkson) May 8, 2012

Watch Kelly Clarkson ‘Stronger’ Performed by Cancer Patients in Seattle

Source: PopCrush.com

YouTube

It’s a catchy song, for sure. But Carley Rae Jepsen’s call me maybe is made even better when it is lip synched and danced to by members of the Harvard Men’s Baseball team. Check out the video to see what I mean.

Attractive men + choreographed dance = an instant win in my book. The best part? The guy sleeping in the back seat the entire time. Not to mention that more and more of them pop up as the song progresses. The guy in the picture up there? He’s my favorite.

Getty

The New York Times is reporting that Maurice Sendak, the author and illustrator of “Where the Wild Things Are”, passed away on May 8th, 2012 at age 83 in Danbury, Conn.  He passed away from complications after a recent stroke.  

Maurice Sendak removed himself from the children’s book mold.  Instead of focusing on colorful happy stories, Maurice brought a more gritty vision of the human psyche to his books.  His ground breaking work will not be forgotten.

Below you can watch a 1o minute documentary shot on Maurice Sendak in 2008.  In the video, he talks about his life and influences for his illustrations and stories.

And lastly, enjoy the trailer for Maurice’s most famous title, “Where The Wild Things Are.”

For more on the story, visit The New York Times.

Steve Poseck/TLC/WTSP

It’s that time of year again when prom is on the minds of every teen girl. Many have bought the tickets, booked the limo and, most importantly, picked out the perfect prom dress. It’s all for the shear thrill of making everyone’s heads turn as they roll up to the dance floor. But no matter how elaborate or lavish the dress is, chances are it won’t be as quite a showstopper as these non-traditional prom gowns.

Soda Tab Prom Dress

Colorado teen Regan Kerr spent five months with a needle, thread and 5,114 soda can tabs. (No, she didn’t drink 5,114 cans of soda.) The end result was a cocktail dress that shocked everyone. “I thought it was a pretty cool idea,” said her friend Sarah, “I just thought it was one of those that would kind of peter out.”

Confederate Flag Prom Dress

While a Confederate Flag prom dress may not sound as intricate as maybe one made from soda can tabs, it most certainly turned some heads. Unfortunately, it was in the worst way possible. Tennessee teen Texanna Edwards showed up at her prom and was quickly turned away by her high school principal for being “inappropriate.” Despite the fact that many of Edwards’ classmates have worn Confederate-related clothing to school and know she wasn’t trying to be offensive, school authorities have yet to speak out about the situation.

Cardboard Prom Dress

Steve Pozek

For 17-year-old Maura Pozek, wearing a cardboard prom dress is not out of the ordinary. She wore a dress made from Doritos bags and soda can tabs (sound familiar?), but this year she tried to “make it work” with something a little less functional. “The only casualty was one of my shoulders came up, and I ended up ripping it off, but other than that, it was completely fine,” she said. In light of her work, Maura was accepted into Stephens College, but even with a scholarship, the cost of tuition was too much and she declined the offer.

‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’ Prom Dress

TLC

Have you ever seen ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding‘ on TLC? Well, it’s basically England’s answer to ‘The Real Housewives’ and ‘Sweet 16.’ While it normally focuses on the extravagant and slightly over-the-top weddings to be had in the gypsy community, one cast member, Cassa, switched things up a bit. She decided to go to prom dressed as a big, pink and puffy Glinda from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Too bad her dress practically swallowed everything it came in contact with, including her date. Watch what happens when she finds out she can’t fit into the prom bus with all her friends.

Starburst Wrapper Prom Dress

We thought five months was a long time to make a dress, but six years is a little B-A-N-A-N-A-S. It took the Kerrin Frey that long to create her daughter’s ‘Project Runway’-worthy masterpiece made of Starburst wrappers, which includes a dress, purse, a pair of high heels and the boyfriend’s matching vest. Talk about dedication. “Persistent, perfectionist, I’m all of the above,” she said.

Gum Wrapper Prom Dress

Elizabeth Rasmuson, like most of us, heard about the crazy duct tape prom dress from a few years back and decided to put her own spin on it. Her 2010 prom gown was crafted from Wrigley’s gum wrappers, but even Rasmuson doesn’t know how many she used. It got to the point where she’d hand out gum to her friends so she could collect the remains.

Source: TheFW.com

YouTube

Sure, getting a movie review of ‘The Avengers’ from a self described mega fan might sound a little biased.  But, Kidd’s Kid Marcos Saldana’s passion makes up for his obvious love of comic book themed movies.

Kidd’s Kid Marcos Saladana suffers from cystic fibrosis.  He recently underwent a double lung transplant and is recovering quite well.  Marcos is a huge movie fan, so who better to review the biggest movie of all time?  Catch his entire review below:

Kidd Kraddick also talked to Mark Ruffalo about his new movie, The Avengers. Check out the interview below!

Splash News

The kouple that plays together stays together, right? Looks like “Are they or aren’t they but they probably are since they both love media attention and you don’t hold hands in public with paparazzi flashbulbs in your face with someone you aren’t dating” pair Kanye West and Kim Kardashian might take their personal kourtship up a notch to professional by kollaborating a song together.

Is a Kimye single on deck?

West referenced being in love with Kardashian in the song ‘Theraflu,’ whose title was changed to ‘Way Too Cold,’ and she recorded a charity single ‘Jam (Turn It Up)’ with uber producer The-Dream, which actually left critics way too cold, even thought it was for a good cause. So they both have the musical history, him more so than her. So will they collide in the studio? It’s not like West doesn’t have the skillz to make his lady love look and sound good.

“Kanye wants Kim to record a song with him but she’s a little nervous,” a source told Hollywood Life. “But she’s definitely considering it. She sort of thinks Kanye is joking around but he’s totally serious.”

Tell us, PopCrush readers. Would a Kimye kollaboration excite you?

Listen to Kim Kardashian ‘Jam (Turn It Up)’

Source: PopCrush.com

YouTube

Gavin DeGraw was booted from ‘Dancing With the Stars’ as a contestant earlier this season, but he returned to the show last night (May 1) to perform his song ‘Sweeter.’

With his black cap and cool dance moves (where he twisted his arms and made the gun sign with his hands and fired repeatedly), DeGraw was comfortable and smiling while performing. He only sang and did not reprise his role as a dancer — no double duty or dancing for DeGraw last night. Sorry if you were disappointed, ‘DWTS’ diehards!

Clearly there are no hard feelings for Mr. DeGraw, since he came back to sing even though he was eliminated fairly early on, in the fifth week of competition.

The camera switched back and forth, focusing on DeGraw as he sang while his former partner Karina Smirnoff danced with Louis Van Amstel. Those two were having a good time and gliding all over the stage as the former castmate sang his heart out.

A big smile and hearty “Thank you” closed out the ‘DWTS’ perf.

Watch Gavin DeGraw Perform ‘Sweeter’ on ‘DWTS’

Source: PopCrush.com

The story is, grandma and grandpa would frequently iChat with him. When they couldn’t make it to California for his wedding, he asked them to do an iChat with advice for a long and happy marriage.

Their advice is listed below the video, but you REALLY should watch for the full effect!

Grandma and Grandpa have been married for 72 years. Their names are Selma and Kenny. They’re cute. And hilarious.

And they have a kiss after toasting the bride and groom. Selma begins laughing like a little girl and says “I haven’t kissed him like that in 25 years!”

1. Be good to each other. Kenny agrees.

2. Make sure you have food in your ‘Frigidaire’ because you do not want to be hungry or starved. Kenny agrees.

3. Help each other in every way. Selma says that means financially and … some other stuff she never got to say because Kenny jumped in.

4. Always keep a clean house! Selma says to be sure your laundry is done and your kitchen is clean … and then Kenny says a few things that leads to some funny bickering.

4b. Travel! You must see as many places as you can to be together. But Selma says to watch your husband, because Kenny was flirting with a woman at the pool. They share a picture of Kenny with a topless woman at the beach (with a censor bar in the proper place).

5. Never argue! Selma says “just don’t argue” and then they bicker about this point. Kenny says they always go to bed happy … after their fights.

If you’ve read this far but haven’t watched the video, WATCH IT! Trust me, reading the list alone doesn’t do it justice.

Full story is here on YAHOO.COM.

And if that wasn’t heartwarming enough for you, here’s video montage of dogs welcoming their owners home from deployment.

[Via Viral Viral Viral]

Source: TheFW.com

DogTV, YouTube

It seems that television is only catering to younger demographics, but one cable channel hopes to tap into a new group of TV enthusiasts by becoming the first network to provide wall-to-wall programming for — wait for it — dogs.

It’s called DogTV and it consists of 24 hours of short shows and segments that your pup would actually find entertaining, enthralling and even relaxing. So, what do dogs want to watch? Calming nature scenes of green fields, owners playing with their pooches, and shots of vacuum cleaners and doorbells.

The network has put almost three years of research into finding out what dogs like to watch and how their programming can benefit them. But some think this new network isn’t really for dogs at all.

Dr. Ann E. Hohenhaus, a veterinarian from New York City, said she believes DogTV actually makes the owners feel better when they have to leave their dogs by themselves. One could argue it’s also for anyone obsessed with watching videos of cute doggies playing tug-of-war with each other (that means all of us).

[The New York Times]

Source: TheFW.com