we're back with more of "today" on a thursday morning. the 9th day of july, 2009. kind of a breezy, partly cloudy day here in the northeast. hopefully you're waking up to nice weather where you are. and this is, by the way, an interesting dayn history. because it was on this day back in 1956 that tom was born. wonderful actor. wonderful director. >> happy birthday. >> and on the same day, in the same year, dick clark began his hosting duties on "american bandstand." if you're my age, you remember that show. >> absolutely. >> you clearly don't remember that. >> i remember. >> happy birthday and happy anniversary for both those occasions. i'm matt lauer along with natalie morales.

meredith is off today and maria celeste from telemundo is helping us out all week long. good to have you here. >> thank you. >> coming up, we're going to have more on the michael jackson story. after that memorial that was watched around the world by millions and millions of people, there are some lingering questions about the custody of his children. where he will be laid to rest. so we're going to get the latest on what we know in just a little while. then something we all know a little something about, are you tired all the time? 44 women tend to feel more tired than men because you've got maybe work -- >> than men. >> you've got work, family, keeping track of all of that and the stress levels can be high. a lot of people do get the recommended amount of sleep. what is going on physically and could it be a sign of something more serious going on. dr. nancy synderman is here. we're also going to have answers to your viewer questions.

>> you may remember take your dog to work day. here at the "today" show we celebrated a bit early to find out if the fluffy friends would be a boost or a distraction. >> if they piddle on the carpet, major distraction. >> first let's go inside, ann is taking time off. we've got hoda at the news desk. >> good morning, everybody. today at the g-8 summit in italy, president obama and world leaders denounced the recent crackdown on protesters in iran. they also said they were very deeply concerned over iran's nuclear ambitions but recommended no new sanctions. meantime this morning, the u.n. secretary-general rebuked the g-8 leaders for making no firm commitments to reduce climate change. it has been a deadly morning in iraq and afghanistan. bombs in baghdad and in northern iraq killed at least 41 people today, and wounded more than 80. and a massive truck bomb exploded in central afghanistan killing at least 25 people. at least 13 of the victims were children. from a nearby school. new developments now in the death of michael jackson. nbc's jeff rossen is at

jackson's star on the hollywood walk of fame. jeff, good morning to you. >> good morning to you. >> this is sort of bizarre but no one seems to know where michael jackson's body is. but this morning we've learned investigators are focusing on his brain. this is the last time we saw michael jackson's casket, at the staples center tuesday. from there, destination unknown. but now, we've confirmed the l.a. county coroner's office has jackson's brain. at least a part of it. investigators are analyzing his brain tissue. it's uncommon, but could help determine what killed him. >> they'll be looking to see whether there is any evidence of prior brain damage, whether from drugs or trauma or post-viral infection. >> reporter: on his official death certificate, la toya jackson provides all the information. cause of death, deferred. she lists forest lawn cemetery as a temporary location. that doesn't mean he'll be laid to rest there. to be buried at neverland, the

family would have to apply for special permits. nbc news has learned they haven't yet. but as jermaine jackson told matt, neverland would be the ideal resting place. >> this is his home. he created this. why wouldn't he be here? i feel his presence. >> reporter: it remains unclear where he'll be buried or when. the enigma that was michael jackson continues even in death. >> michael's life was a great story, but ultimately also a great tragedy. and if you knew him you know it was full of agony and ecstasy. >> reporter: which is exactly why investigators are digging in. did jackson's doctors prescribe pills for cash? and did those pills kill him? i spoke with los angeles police chief william bratton. >> we're certainly interviewing doctors. we're certainly interviewing friends. certainly trying to get an understanding off of what role drugs may have played in the life of mr. jackson. >> reporter: are you confident there will be criminal charges in this case? >> no, not at all. >> reporter: as detectives probe jackson's final days, racking up officer overtime, the city of

los angeles is on the hook for more than $1 million, providing security and other services at the memorial. there's outrage that the city had to pay the bill at all. more than 10,000 jackson fans have logged in to the city's website to donate money. officials say that's not good enough. they want all of it back. >> it would be wonderful if the jackson family would consider assisting the city defraying some of the costs of this. it would also be tremendous if aeg would help us in defraying the costs on this. >> reporter: and it's not over yet. there's still the high profile battle over jackson's estate. and of course, the kids. >> and i just want to say i love him so much. >> reporter: mega stars, by default. speaking of the kids, there is actually a custody hearing scheduled for monday here in los angeles. unclear if debbie rowe, the kids' biological mother will fight for them. of course that will affect how

long this gets dragged out. >> jeff rossen in hollywood. thanks for that report. the her yum wabster collegiate dictionary is adding at least 100 new words and phrases. earmark, carbon footprint, webisode, staycation. now let's go back outside to matt, maria and natalie. >> it's a little chilly. maria has goosebumps. >> i know. i'm from miami. >> we've got alexandra steele with a check of the forecast. she's in while al is taking time off. >> good morning, guys. we've got people here from northern maine. so you guys have not seen much of a summer at all. here in new york, a little cloudy and certainly a little windier than it has been. here's a look at the satellite and radar composite around the country. again, look at the southeast. in florida today, one to two inches of rain locally through central florida. the potential for three to four inches, even some flood watches posted there. into the northeast you can see that cloud cover could be around. but again, temperatures a little

bit cooler than where we are normally this time of year. into the southeast, as well, cloudy skies, scattered showers and storms from georgia to the >> we are expecting a high today of 80 degrees. it will be good on the beaches of ocean city and mostly sunny. tomorrow, more of the same tomorrow, more of the same thatly, back to you. >> thank you, alexandra. this morning on "today's" daily dose, are you dozing off? with busy schedules, financial stress, family chaos, many women

are having a hard time getting a good night's sleep. how do you know if your exhaustion is something more serious. nbc's chief medical editor dr. nancy synderman is here to help you this morning. >> good morning. >> something all of us can reto. if you're constantly tired and fatigued, though, these are common problems, are some of it related to lifestyle? >> yeah, because we tend to think, oh, well i'm just juggling two jobs and the kids and so we go through life chronically tired. but if you find yourself exhaupsed all the time it's worthwhile, especially for women, to stand back and say, okay, let me take stock in some things, other things going on in my life, that could be, diet is one of the perfect places to start. it's possible that you're not getting the foods that you need. we know that something as simple as anemia affects women more often and you can start to look at your diet to see if you could make things better. >> it's good to see a doctor if there seems to be a deeper issue. let's talk about anemia, and anemia is an overlooked condition, often. why is it that it does make people so tired? >> anemia really means that you don't have enough red blood

cells in your body. red blood cells carry the oxygen. if you don't get enough oxygen you don't get enough repair and you don't get enough oxygen to your brain and lungs and heart and serves as this downhill spiral. a simple blood test, blood test to check for your hoemogloben levels will tell your doctor you need some kind of iron. lean meat, beans, fortified cereals there are a lot of ways to get iron in your basic diet. however a lot of women don't eat really good diets. talk to your doctor about whether you should take iron supplementation if you have iron deficiency anemia. because we men straight, because we don't have as much lean body mass, so just, you know, check with your doctor. >> the other common cause for exhaustion can be a thyroid issue. >> yeah. >> thyroid disease or if you have a hypeo thyroid. >> millions of people are misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed with thyroid problems.

particularly after having a baby or going through menopause. can you have a thyroid gland that underperforms or overperforms. really we're talking underperforming. this is important because the thyroid gland that you see here in the neck really is the engine for the whole body. it pumps out hormones. the normal thyroid, as you can see, is pumping out a lot of thyroid hormones, in hipo thyroid, it's not pumping out as much. if you look at this side, the thyroid can get a little larger, but it's larger because it doesn't work as well. and all those little white dots are little pieces of thyroid hormone. sometimes you'll look across at your girlfriend and her neck looks a little big, that could be the sign that the thyroid has to get bigger just to keep up. >> are there other signs? people losing their hair? >> weight gain, thickness of the skin, being too hot. your hair loses its luster or can fall out. simple, simple blood test. and if you are low all your doctor has to do is put you on thyroid supplementation.

>> another cause sometimes, would be depression. >> right. >> and a lot of -- a lot of women certainly experience whether postpartum or just regular -- >> and it's different than just the blues. you're sad after something bad happens. depression is that feeting of hopelessness and depression means you're not sleeping well. you have a hard time going to sleep or every morning waking at 3:00 or 4:00 and can't get evil thoughts out of your mind. or you find yourself crawling under the covers in the afternoon, and it's a kind of sleep that doesn't leave you feeling refreshed. you're sleeping 10, 12, 14 hours a day, but it's not better. and if that's the case, and you suddenly realize you're feeling hopeless, you're sleeping more, you're more exhausted, you're sad, your friends have changed, nothing fascinates you anymore, all the more reason to see someone for counseling. >> now there are other less common, but still important causes of exhaustion. what are they? >> some simple ones. die beat else. easy blood test to make sure your sugar is okay.

arthritis can cause problems. sleep apnea, where you've really stopped breathing at night, and that causes your oxygen -- >> you may not realize that's going on at night. >> right. and if you're sleeping -- let's say your spouse is snoring a lot or you hear you're snoring a lot, ask your partner to just take a simple tape recorder and record your breathing patterns at night. sometimes that's all it takes to see if you stop breathing at night. allergic reactions, restless leg syndrome, yes it's for real. even autoimmune illnesses can cause problems. if you are exhausted, and you say, i'm trying to eat a decent diet, i'm not too stressed, i'm getting enough sleep, but you know you're popped, there may be a real medical reason underlying it. >> and there may be chronic fatigue syndrome. >> it is an interesting one. not all doctors believe in it. i happen to be one of those doctors who think it's for real. some doctors think it's sort of a garbage basket, a waste basket of problems. but if you talk to people who have had overwhelming viral

infections and they never quite come out of it, there's something that happens to the immune system. >> and nancy, you're going to stand by, because coming up after the break we're going to get so some answers to your e-mails. also coming up, can bringing your dog to work help boost your energy and productivity? we'll find out. energy and productivity? we'll find out. but first, these messages. one coffee with room, one large mocha latte. medium macchiato, light hot chocolate hold the whip, and two espressos. make one a double. she's fiber focused! i have two cappuccinos, one coffee with room, one large mocha latte, a medium macchiato, a light hot chocolate, hold the whip, and two espressos, one with a double shot. gonna take more than coffee to stay this focused. stay full and focused through the morning... with a breakfast of kellogg's® frosted mini-wheats® cereal; an excellent source of fiber that helps you avoid... the distraction of mid-morning hunger. no thanks, i'm good. the distraction of mid-morning hunger. light & fit has 80 calories versus 100 in the other leading brand. and a taste you'll find... [sluuurrrrpppp!] irresistible. now try new watermelon and cantaloupe flavors.

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"today's" daily dose. this morning we're talking about why you're tired all the time. nbc's medical editor dr. nancy synderman is here to answer your questions. let's get to the very first one because we've got a lot of good ones here. this is from brittany in boston, massachusetts. she joins us on the phone. what's your question to dr. synderman. >> hi, good morning. i was wondering if there are any particular medications that could be contributing my lethargic feelings i've had more recently during the summer? >> you know, you sound young. so one thing that comes up are hormonal changes. if she's on a new birth control pill, that can make a difference. but for anyone who is on heart medication, anything for depression or anxiety, sleep aids, and drug-drug interaction is increasingly common. the first thing i would do is say what am i putting in my mouth? could that possibly be playing a role here? >> okay. brittany, is there anything more you want to add to your question?

>> no, that's great. thanks so much. >> all right, thanks so much. next we have a viewer e-mail question from sarah in los angeles. and she asks, how nutrition can affect fatigue. >> it's interesting, we talked about sort of iron-rich foods. now let's sort of flip things around. let's talk about the carbohydrate-rich foods. but not the good carbs like fruits and vegetables, the junk carbs. refined white flour, sodas, pop, and in the summer for adults, white wine. what do they all have in common? sugar. sugar can be a great energy source. but it takes you really high. you get -- and then you crash. so if you find that you are really, really, really tired or just feel like someone sucked all the energy out of you after you had this, start to look at the kind of diet you're having. because, protein is sort of, you know, keeps you from feeling hungry. carbs give you energy. but if you're eating all protein, no carbs you're going to feel lethargic. but if it's just the cheap carbs

and nothing else, you're going to go up down, up down, up, down. look at an infederal government rated diet. and this stuff is an absolute treat. >> the lean protein. >> a slow burn. the slow burn, but the carbs are going to be the sugar crash. >> that's right. >> that you get. >> okay, next is lori in fort worth, texas, coming to us via skype. what's your question for dr. nancy? >> good morning. my question is, is it possible to sleep too much? and if it is possible to sleep too much, how much is too much? >> lori, it is possible to sleep too much. the ampage you want to sleep is about seven or eight hours a night. we worried about people who sleep 10, 11 or 12 hours because it tells me either it's not effective sleep or it could be associated with depression. a study came out last year said that people who sleep too much, 10, 11, 12 hoar hours has a higher rate of suicide. now whether that suicide is related to depression or note, you have to sort out. but absolutely if you require more than nine or ten hours of sleep at night you absolutely

need to be checked in a sleep lab. >> is it true as you get older you don't need as much sleep? >> no, what's true is that you need enough but you don't get it all in one piece. so if you talk to older americans, 60, 70 -- well, not 60, 70, 80, 90 years old, let's say -- that was a slip, they'll say, i sleep or two or three hours, but then i'm awake. so it's more fragmented. >> okay. let's go to our crowd outside. maria celeste is out there with a member who has a question for up. >> that's right. we have a visitor from san jose, california, and she has a question for >> hi, i own a dance studio and work with a lot of teenage girls. i was wondering if a lack of sleep causes them to have more stress? >> well, it does. and as a mother of two now just out of their teens, girls, i can tell you there are a couple things going on with teen girls. they're overcaffeinated, they're overwired, they're stressed about school and what they're going to be when they grow up, and they are, i think, our first generation of true insomniacs. so you have to make sure those

kids are not getting coffee at 3:00 in the afternoon. that they come off their gadgets an hour before they go to bed, and read to get into sleep. do not put a television set in your kid's room no matter how much they badger you. >> great advice. >> and check their cars for the kind of stuff we have sitting here. >> soda, candy. >> cheap carbs consumers. and it all comes together and crashes. and i think keeps our kids way too wired. >> absolutely. they're way overstimulated. finally a viewer female question from angie in california. she writes, i hit snooze about five times before waking up. how do i get out of the habit of delaying my wake-up time? and do you think this contributes to my afternoon fatigue? >> oh, angie, angie, yes, yes, yes. >> i'd love to be able to hit snooze. >> it's back to sleep hygiene school for you. go to bed at the same time every night, get up at the same time. establish that routine as much as you can, even on weekends. for whatever you have to do, put that alarm clock across the room so that there's no way to reach over and smash it.

get up, walk across the room, turn it off. don't crawl back into bed, and then head right to the bathroom. and turn on the lights. >> dr. nancy synderman. great segments. thank you very much for being here. >> you bet. >> still to come, and you can watch the dr. nancy show on msnbc at noon. still to come, unsuspected members of our crowd are getting an instant makeover as we speak. hoda and kathie lee are going to reveal the results of the "ambush makeover" coming up a little bit later on. we're back right after this. for my credit card. here's one from my prom. oh, what memories. how 'bout one from our golf outing? ( shouting ) i know, maybe one of my first-born son. dad, mom says the boys gotta go. personalize your card by uploading... your own photo at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? ♪ i can smile, i can carry on our conversation i do most of the talking yes i wear dentures and they fit wonderful super poligrip acts as a seal

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pop-tarts®! i'll have a frosted strawberry... as an ice cream sandwich. ♪ chocolate fudge... on a stick please! ( crunch ) with the endless possibilities of kellogg's® pop-tarts, it's sure to be a picture perfect summer. pop-tarts®. made for fun. tomorrow on "today" is brought to you by palm pre. taking a hand, it's a beautiful thing. >> now, a special look at what's coming up tomorrow on "today." >> the magic goes on, because the boy wizard is all grown up and daniel radcliffe, otherwise known as harry potter, will make an appearance in studio 1a. >> very interesting. and we'll get an update on what we know about michael jackson, the prescription drugs found in his home, dr. drew princeki will

weigh in. and rascal flatts will take to our summer concert stage. going to be a big, big day tomorrow. love rascal flatts. >> meanwhile in our next half hour, what to pack before you hit the road with your kids. i guarantee you you'll thank us later. >> in our next half hour. kellogg's has always made... waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons...

in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning. but they also need vitamin d to help absorb calcium. with yoplait kids, trix yogurt and go-gurt, they get both. yoplait, the one for kids. >> lot, local, late breaking. >> good morning. it is 9:26. police are searching for the man responsible for a double shooting that left one man dead and another injured. that happened near the 29 -- it

happened in baltimore. there were shot about 12:30 this morning and one died. the second victim is recovering in hospital. police in west baltimore are busy, investigating a shooting on division street. an officer heard the gunshot shortly before 11:00. an 18-year-old man was found lying in the street. he was pronounced dead at the hospital. let's take look at the lovely for test. >> it is definitely lovely. we will see partly cloudy skies, light east wind, and 78 degrees as a high today. peoplthere is a nice air mass or the new england area today. we will call it mile. showers are confined to the south. our necks out of showers and storms is not until saturday evening.

one more a nice day to wrap up the work week and and below 80's tomorrow. there's a chance of today. >> thank you for joining us. we will have another update at 9:55.

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♪ you found me you found me lying on the floor ♪ ♪ where were you where were you ♪ >> and that's the band, famous for lending their songs to some of your favorite tv shows. i know from "gray's anatomy" and they're going to provide a little music to our show with a special live concert monday on "today." but not before we get to a little country spirit tomorrow on "today," with a live performance from hitmakers rascal flatts. a double shot of music for some summer concerts continue here. come on down if you're in the area. they're always so good to the fans. and we love to have them here. so, meanwhile, speaking of the love, we love to have all of these lovely ladies here. natalie morales along with maria

celeste, who is helping us out from telemundo and hoda kotb. the one and only. >> one and only. >> coming up in this half hour, do you love dogs? >> i love dogs. >> did you grow up with them? >> i did not. my parents said we already have three kids, that's plenty. no dogs allowed. >> no circus needed. i grew up with two dogs, so i love them. more and more americans are bringing their dogs to work. the question is, is it a good idea? so we decided to put it to the test here at our offices. we went doggie for a day. we're going to show you the results coming up just ahead. >> i can't wait for that. also she hit a nerve with some frazzled moms with her book called sippy cups are not for chardonnay. now this mother comes clean with life and motherhood. >> plus if you're planning a road trip for the whole family. we'll show you how to do it. what to take along to keep your kids from repeatedly asking that question, are we there yet? including, how to prevent your children from getting cranky after sitting for so long.

>> and kathie lee and i are going to spend a whole half hour of our show talking about kids and divorce and we've got this terrific panel of kids whose parents divorced in different stages of their lives. we have a couple experts. everyone says kids are resilient. but you want to hear what they have. >> what a great idea. get a half hour to sit down with them. >> we're glad you're doing that. >> before we get to all of that, alexandra steele of the weather channel is in for al. good morning, again. >> good morning, guys. let's take a look at the big picture. a few scattered showers and storms in the upper midwest. from duluth to minneapolis we could see a slight risk for even tornadoes today. the southwest is hot and dry. the southeast, we will see rain, and even in florida, one to three inches, potentially three to four. locally flooding is not out of the question. for tomorrow, though, florida dries out. the risk of storms moves a little bit farther east. sunny skies in the northeast. wax it is hard to believe we are

seeing temperatures. for tomorrow, 81 degrees and for tomorrow, 81 degrees and saturday it will certainly in the northeast, getting warmer than it's been and a great weekend. >> finally we'll celebrate. >> thank you. coming up next, is taking your dog to work a good thing? we're going to hear both sides of the story right after this. ( beeps ) oh. - ( beeping ) - begin ink discharge. watch tough stains disappear right before your eyes with clorox 2 stain fighter and color booster.

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>> that's right, natalie. there's even a national take your dog to work day. but when dogs came to the "today" show office, did productivity increase or did the day go to the dogs? the day started off well. >> good morning. >> and the mood in the office was cheerful. >> i have the cutest dog. >> one big pro of bringing your pet into the office is it makes you happier. numerous studies show having your pet with you releases stress. >> it really is nice to have her here. everybody stops just to say hello to the dog. >> but were "today's" staffers getting any work done? >> well, i've been holding henry for the last five minutes and i've done no work, so i'm going to go less productive, but i'm very happy. >> this might be a little bit too much to handle. >> from producers to anchors, everyone had an opinion about our four-legged friends. let's say some big news happens and you're in the office, do you feel having dogs around -- >> no, they get it. dogs go into a breaking news

kind of crouch. they can feel breaking news like they can feel a thunderstorm and an earthquake. >> at companies like google, every day is take your dog to work day. >> oh. >> one of the joys of the dog policy is that i get to share a part of my life that my coworkers might not always be able to see. >> but here at "today," some barked at the idea of an open dog door policy. >> a big concern would be if the office starts to smell like a dog. because of accidents. or irresponsible owners. >> the one major problem with it could be use of negative attention if your dog is annoying, if people are allergic, or if it actually reduces your productivity. how do you feel having dogs in the office? >> being allergic to them i think it's a great idea. >> that would explain the scratching. >> yes. >> as long as people bring their popper scoopers with them. >> very good. >> trixie, you can come back to the "today" show any time. i think you're allowed.

>> who me? talking to me? >> brian williams had to do the news. >> well, thanks, sara. >> thanks sara haines. >> up next, the author of sippy cups are not for chardonnay sits down with us. outdoor all-in-one -- w windex cleans outdoor glass fast. just spray with water, wipe with a windex cleaning pad, and rinse for a streak-free shine in half the time. - she pulled a fast one. ( laughing ) - you're done? new windex outdoor all-in-one. a streak-free shine in half the time. save $2.50 with coupon when you go to windexoutdoor.com. s.c. johnson, a family company. waking up to breakfast delicious. now, we're making it more affordable. with five one-dollar-off coupons... in specially marked boxes of cereal. wake up to breakfast... on kellogg's. the best to you each morning.

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she is famous for writing about the demands of parenthood in her book kgs sippy cups are not for chardonnay." now stefanie wilder-taylor takes a look at her own life in her new memoir, "it's not me, it's you" where she comes clean about everything from her relationship with her father, to the time she accidentally smoked cocaine. okay, stefanie, good to have you back here with us. >> thank you. >> why do you say, it's not me, it's you." >> it's kind of tongue in cheek. >> are you placing the blame on somebody else? >> i think by the time you get to every chapter you realize pretty much it's me. >> it is you. in the last book you wrote about expecting twins, you have twin girls, sadie and maddie now 19 months old. >> yes. >> you also have an older one, as well, who is how old now? >> she's 4 1/2. >> what is it like living with three kids under the age of 5 in your house? >> it's pretty crazy. yeah.

i've named my twins, writers and block. because it's really hard to get anything done. >> yet you get a book out every year. >> i don't know. it's like pure adrenaline. you know, sleep deprivation can actually help you be creative. >> at night once they're in bed. the book is a collection of essays all about your life experiences. and you've been pretty honest, i think, in some of your revelations. is the book sort of a cautionary tale for parents? >> well, you know what, it is a cautionary tale. like for the fact that if my kids read it and the fact that, you know, there's a lot of things i've done that i'm not embarrassed about anything, i've just kind of taken a circuitous route to where i am today. i was the first in a long line of jewish professionals to not go to college. but then on the other hand, i waited tables until i was 28 years old. so you know what i mean? there's kind of that yin-yang thing i have going in the book. >> what are some of the lessons you've learned? >> i would say there's not one way to do things.

like for instance, you know, my mom told me years ago that i had to work really hard if i wanted to have a car in los angeles. and i thought, not so much. i'm going to go on a game show. i'm going to win one. >> and it worked, right? >> i won a car on a game show. there you go. >> look at that hair, by the way. that was 1980-something, right? >> oh, yeah. >> oh, that was bad. that was really bad hair. and the necklace was embarrassment. >> how did you end up on "hollywood squares"? >> well, i -- i wanted to go on a game show but didn't want to have to do anything hard like trivia questions that would make me look stupid. and i found "hollywood squares." and i thought, how hard could it be to agree or disagree? so i went to the audition and i got on the show. and i won the car. and everything was going really great, until i neglected to pay any taxes. >> i was going to say. you have to pay taxes on those winnings. >> yeah. i was 20. i'm not a grown-up. i don't need to pay taxes.

and years later it turned out that buick skyhawk cost me about $18,000 in back taxes. >> learned the lesson the hard way. you wrote the book, of course, "sippy cups are not for chardonnay" and "nap time is the new happy hour" so drinking has been a constant theme in some of your past books. but you're saying that's behind you. you quit drinked. >> i had to quit drinking. >> your blog has created -- that blog created quite a sensation. you came out and said i'm not drinking anymore. >> i don't know why, it's just sort of for me, i like am really honest, and i find that being honest is the way to really relate to people. i find just, you know, speaking your mind to be good conversation. my husband calls it not having a filter. but, you know, i didn't know that so many people were going to react to me saying i quit drinking. >> what were they saying? >> most of the people on my blog, baby on board, were so supportive and just like, yeah, and a lot of people, i was shocked. a lot of moms, especially, were saying, i think i have a drinking problem, too.

i want to quit drinking, too. >> your drinking problem was a couple drinks a day. >> yeah, i was having a couple drinks every night. but for me i wanted to catch it before it became a real problem. i felt for me, and i am not one of those people who's like, i am somebody else with a glass of wine going, you have a problem. i think most people can drink fine. i turned out couldn't so much. >> all right. well, again, the book is called "it's not me, it's you." stefanie wilder taylor. always great to have you. >> thank you. >> you know what, it's all good. it is funny. there's funny, humorous things in it. >> yes. >> coming up next, essential tools for parents before you hit the road with your kids. but first, this is "today" on nbc. pa

"today's" travel tips is brought to you by goodyear. get there reliably.

>> this morning on "today's" travel, on the road, car trip essentials for kids. no matter how easy you think your next trip is going to be, it's always best to be prooped. lindsay gladstone, editor of daily candy kids has a few he is sections. >> daily candy kids dotcom is all about providing moms with the latest things to make their lives more easier and their kids' lives a little bit more fun. >> don't be scared, be prepared. >> we've picked up some of our favorite new things on the market for families to take on road trips. >> beginning with a very important item. the booster seat. >> kids will complain they're barely out of the driveway and they have numb bum, traffic push. it's a common plant. this new fullback booster is called the uber available august 15th. you can preorder it for your road trip and what's so fantastic about it, besides the beautiful streamlined design is that it's made with the same materials that's used in luxury

automobiles. >> and it's very nice and stable. >> yes. it's got rigid latch, slips right into the seat, and won't move. >> and to get them organized you can actually install this tray into seats like that one. >> yes. you want to set them up for success. this is a snap and play travel tray that snaps around your car seat. it comes with these great velcro pockets, and it gives them a nice ledge so things won't just go rolling off. and you won't spend the whole time turning around. >> i love this that you have here as an alternative to the usual dvd. >> keep them entertained without sticking on the dvd until you really need it, right? these bean bags come with a list attached that you can tear off and keep in the front seat for you. if the view out the window gets a little boring you can play i spy something that starts with a "b." i spy a present and your kids will go on a hunt to find it in the back. >> and you have classical options like travel bingo. >> the whole family can get in on this. it's a new take on the whole travel bingo. you look out the window. what's really great about it, there's a drawer so everything

is contained when you're done playing. >> and these origami figurines. >> kids want to bring their favorite action figures along and ultimately that can be a disaster because they're going to lose it. >> or fight about it. >> you make these before you go and what's especially nice about these is that they pack flat. so bring them along. it's a great activity for your vacation. and then a whole new set of figurines for the road trip home. >> and by far my favorite. this is like fake nails. and they're criecriens. >> they're crayons they wear on their fingertips. and they're triangles so they won't fall off the tray. what's great about this kit is it's 75 pages of activities. just give them the book and let them draw. >> another very key and important item when the kid's got to go, they've got to go. so you have an alternative. >> nature is going to call no matter where you are, right? and if there's not a rest stop in sight, what to do? a disposable biodegradable potty. now you can pull over to the side of the road and use it, let your kids go to the bathroom, or if they get car sick it's also

great to catch a little throw-up. >> i understand that our producer used it last week on a roadtrip and she had raving reviews. >> she did. she was very successful with it. said it was the best thing they brought on the trip. >> what happens when your kids are too big for this? >> there's a great site called spit forsquat.com to help you locate the nearest bathroom. >> that's great. thank you. >> we've all been there. right? >> thank you, lindsay gladstone. thank you so much. >> still to come this morning, hoda and kathie lee reveal the results of "today's" "ambush makeover" as they made over two lovely ladies from the plaza. but fis your local news and weather.

>> live, local, late breaking. >> good morning. it is 9:00 this before. -- it is 9:54. police said they were called to investigate a disturbance on the 400 block of east baltimore streak at 10:33 they found a woman lying in the roadway. moments later, a car began

accelerating toward the woman and the trooper. the officer fired on the vehicle, wounding the driver. he is recovering. charges against him are pending. the woman was also arrested on an outstanding warrant. baltimore county police are investigating an early morning stabbing in middle river. officers were called to the scene at 3:30 this morning. the victim was suffering from stab wounds to the back. we're

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>> no complaints on the weather. it will be a spring-like july. there is nothing as far as the radar. all the showers are out there are area and will remain so over the next two days. 77-82 degrees will be our range today. low humidity again and winds are light and out of the east today. high pressure will hold up to our north. that will be the same tomorrow. 87 degrees but more humid on saturday. there will be a chance of evenings of thunderstorms on saturday night. we will be back up to 90 by the middle of next week. >> thank you for joining us and we will see you back here for 11 news at

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