Matching, I have to admit, is a pet peeve of mine. I think it may be cute in small doses, and when your daughter is below the age of 7. I mean, what little girl wants to head off to elementary school donning the exact same jumpsuit as her mother? But, interestingly enough, the Obama women are bringing the matching fad back, with a bit of a twist. According to StyleList, the entire Obama family made an appearance at the United We Serve event in Washington, D.C. on the morning of June 25. There, Michelle Obama came out wearing a cute Lavin tee, with a yellow cardigan and teal Capri pants. Sasha, who is actually 8 years old, wore an outfit that did “match” her mothers, but still showed a little personal identity. She donned a graphic yellow tee on top with similar teal Capri pants, only Sasha’s had a trendy cargo thing going on. Well, I guess the Obama ladies are bringing matching back, but in a less strict way. I like the fact that they did embrace their own styles while still being cute in their matching outfits. Take a look at the two yellow and teal ladies yourself:

The show started in July of 2008, and in just a short year, America has become obsessed with Jon and Kate and their eight children. The seasons began showing just how crazy the Gosselin household was, and fans loved to see the family go through tribulations and triumphs together. Somehow, they always managed through it together. They had to pinch pennies, and have set schedules, deal with chaos, but ultimately, fans fell in love with this family because of their honestly and love.

However, recently, the tabloids and media have provided America with an endless stream of arguments and scandals between Jon and Kate. The most current season started a few weeks ago with over 9 million interested viewers, who ended up slightly disappointed with the rather big house yet rather small communication between the family members. Every episode thus far seems to have included some kind of celebrity, from the guys of American Chopper to the famous chef Emril. It’s great that the Gosselin’s are getting these perks, don’t get me wrong, but the focus seemed to be on all this material stuff and celebrity instead of the time and love the Gosseln’s always shared with each other. So, where did the love go?

Unfortunately, this lack of communication ended with Jon and Kate in a courthouse on June 22, 2009. The episode on the same date ended with a statement of how Jon and Kate are separating, but continuing the show. They both seemed genuinely hurt for their children, pledging to have done and will continue to do the best they can. I am definitely sad for this family, and for the kids. I think it was hard enough to live a documented life on TV, but it will be even harder to have the cameras rolling while their family is torn apart.

Through all the stress if their first six months in the White House, the Obamas have put an emphasis on date nights. And, interestingly enough, married couples everywhere are following suit. President Barack Obama and his wife have stressed the importance of going out together for romantic evenings, even if only for an hour, from the time when he began the presidential race. Although his availability for date nights have severely lessened since then, he and Michelle Obama have still been making valiant efforts to go out for a quiet dinner, albeit under the watchful eye of the Secret Service and at least 20 news reporters at all times.

When traveling to New York last week, the presidential couple fulfilled a long ago campaign promise. President Obama said in a statement read by an aide to the press, “I am taking my wife to New York City because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished.” And that they did. After a quiet 2 hour long dinner in the West Village, they drove the motorcade up to Broadway and did see a play. Even this week during their trip to Paris for Malia’s 8th birthday, the couple had a meal at a local French bistro. Although they may have expected at least a few minutes to themselves, I can’t imagine being met by cheers from French citizens and restaurant-goers was a bad thing.

So how do you do date night? Our date nights are usually a movie and take out sushi after the kids are in bed – this way I get a quiet meal and a movie. Though ever since a new restaurant opened within walking distance (a rare thing in the suburbs), we have left the kids with our regular baby sitter and scooted on out. Still, I long for a old fashioned dinner and a movie – I think I’m saving up for New Moon, if I can convince my husband to see (long shot, I know).

Tell us about your favorite date nights below!

A good guide book will help you if you’re like me and don’t know a crow from a blackbird. The binoculars (a good pair can be less than $100) will help you get “close’ enough to identify the key features that allow you to tell one bird from another. And don’t forget sturdy shoes, patience and bug spray. Add in a picnic lunch and you have some good old fashioned fun. I would spice it up by adding a little competition to the mix – perhaps make a list of birds you know are in the area and award a prize to the first kid who recognizes them all. Or have a prize for most birds spotted or most unique bird. Apparently there has been quite a movement among people to bring back the activity of birding. Yup, walking among the trees and looking for birds and tracking them. All you need – a pair of shoes and binoculars. Oh and the handy-dandy bird book – because if you’re like me, you don’t know a crow from a black bird. You;ll get back to nature time, plus you’ll be secretly educating your kids. Throw in a prize for who spots the most birds, or the most unique, and pair with a picnic, and you have a nice outing.

About Chesapeake, Va., Conventions & Tourism

Based in southeast Virginia, the city of Chesapeake boasts more than 4,000 available hotel rooms and some of the strongest attractions, accommodations and meeting spaces in the area. Chesapeake Conventions & Tourism (CCT) strives to promote, market and sell the city as a destination for meetings, conventions and individual travelers, fostering economic development and benefiting and supporting members and the overall business community.

Because of its location and highway network, Chesapeake provides easy access to several other cities in the Tidewater region including Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Williamsburg, all of which are less than an hour away. The City of Chesapeake is home to several stops along the Civil War Trail and its Great Dismal Swamp is nationally recognized as a stop on the historical Underground Railroad. In addition to rich history, Chesapeake is home to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and hosts a thriving outdoor community with thousands of unspoiled acres for kayaking, birding and fishing.

Chesapeake is a part of the statewide Virginia Green program which aims to reduce the environmental impact of the tourism industry. Chesapeake is also rated by the FBI as one of the top five safest cities of its size in the U.S., and Money magazine proclaimed it as one of the six best places in America to live. For more information on Chesapeake Conventions & Tourism, visit www.visitchesapeake.com

With the school year coming to a close, you’re not alone if you’re a parent who is stressing out about ways to give your kids a fun and memorable summer without breaking the bank. For all of you parents in this bind, GirlMogul has put together some reminders and tips to help you keep your kids busy and happy, while on a tighter budget.

Remember…

• You are not the only parent who can’t afford overnight camp this summer. According to the executive director of the American Camp Association, Bette Bussel, camps that usually fill up and post waiting lists by December, still have vacancies. With less kids going off to overnight camp, more kids will be around the neighborhood, ball field, and pool to keep your children busy and active.

• You may love the idea of your child going off to overnight camp and building social and practical skills in the woods, but for many kids, camp is not a perfect fit. Your child may be relieved to spend some time at home building their relationships with friends and family when the pressures of school are off.

Tips

• Bring some aspects of camp to your summer at home! Organize barbecues and smores parties with your child and his or her friends. Let your kids “camp-out” in the backyard or go on day-hikes or weekend canoe-treks.
• Organize “field trips” on the weekends that your kids can look forward to all week. Try to get a few parents and a group of kids together to make it more of an event. Go to the beach, the water park, the zoo, a carnival, or a fair. Ask your kids to make a list of their “Top-Ten Destinations” (within a reasonable radius) at the beginning of the summer.
• Indulge in your (and your kid’s) creative side and organize art, music, and theatrical projects. Have your kids paint a mural, get out their instruments and start a band in your garage, or give them a small budget and have them produce a play.
• Recruit neighborhood teenagers (who may be having trouble finding their own summer jobs given the economic climate) to organize activities like sports games, scavenger hunts, and trips to the town pool. This is a great way to make sure your kids are entertained and supervised if you have to work during the week.
• Look into less-expensive day camps that cater to your kids’ interests, likes sports camps, art camps, even cooking camps! Day camps are almost always less expensive than overnight camps, and are another great way to get supervision for your kids during the work-week

The Narcissm Epidemic

Now I have not read the full book, but really want to. On the one hand, it’s easy to look around at kids and teenagers today and declare that they care only for themselves, are ruthless and only look out for number 1. They have been told too many times that they are the best and that they deserve to be a princess or a princes. Diva behavior by the commoner is justified, because we are all special, but of course we can’t possibly be. Or can we. I am struggling with the premise of the book maybe because I do believe in the old American adage of hard work will lead to success – and thereby a type of “special-ness.” And after some time in corporate America, I firmly believe that we should always be looking out for number 1 – because no one else is going to. But that doesn’t mean I can’t look out for number 2s either.
Anyone read the book – think it has a valid point, or think that it doesn’t?

Anyway, if you haven’t seen this video from the Dove Self Esteem campaign, watch it, and then share with your daughter – you’ll never look at a picture in a magazine the same way again.

So parents – is this trend cause for concern, or just a childish prank. And if teens are the “pioneers” how soon before it drops down to the tween level?