No makeup? No problem for WWE Diva and reality star Torrie Wilson

I'm always wondering how celebrities can look so great all the time. I mean, when I work out, I look like poop. If I happen to be wearing makeup, my mascara has run so much I have raccoon eyes and my hair is one sweaty mess.

So when Houston resident and former WWE Diva Torrie Wilson was willing to share her beauty secrets with me, I jumped at the chance to find out how she managed to look so good all the time.

It turns out even super sexy divas worry about looking good, because with Torrie landed her role on the hit reality show "I'm a Celebrity...Get me out of Here!," she said she had a big dilemma on her hands. How in the world was she going to look good in the sweltering heat of the jungle for weeks with no makeup?


Going without makeup while being on national TV is something most women would dread, but Master Stylist and Lash Queen Noor Daoudi from Xtreme Lashes had the answer for Torrie.


"Torrie wanted something where she would have a little emphasis around her eyes, so I went with lash extensions that were just long and thick enough to look good on TV without looking gaudy," said Noor.


Noor, who has done lash extensions for many celebrities including Kelly Roland from Destiny's child and Rachael Leigh Cook, says the secret to lash extensions has to do with the consultation.


Before applying the extensions, she sits down with each of her clients to find out whether they want a natural look, a day or a night look, lots of drama or something in between. She then comes up with the length of the lash based on the client's eyes to keep them in proportion to her face.

With Torrie, she decided to go with extensions that would keep her looking great while on television, but at the same time, keep her looking natural while in the jungle.


"She wanted a little bit of drama, but not anything extreme," said Noor. "So we went with thick black lashes that were applied to every single eyelash. But we didn't go too long."

Sadly, no matter how great the lashes look going on, lash extensions don't last forever.


Because the lashes are applied one at a time, they shed one at time - as your eyelashes naturally fall out. Noor says that after two weeks, the average client will come back for a refill session to fill in the ones that have fallen out. But it takes six to eight weeks for all of the lash extensions to fall off.

Of course, being in the jungle for four weeks, Torrie did not have the luxury of getting refills every two weeks to replace her extensions. This is why Noor applied them to every single lash at the beginning.


"Because I applied the extensions to all of her lashes, they would continue to look full and thick even as a few were shedding every week," said Noor. "This was an important part of the service for her. She didn't just want to look good the first couple of weeks, but for the whole time she was on the show."


Thankfully, most of us aren't about to go hang out in the jungle. So if Xtreme Lash extensions were able to handle all the bizarre situations Torrie got herself in, then they certainly can handle our day-to-day activities. They are sweat-proof, water-proof and maintenance free. You don't even have to wear mascara unless you want more drama for a special night. For those cases, Xtreme Lash has developed a special mascara made especially for the extensions.


Noor says emphasizing the eyes is one of the secrets that celebrities have embraced as it provides a natural lift to their face.


"If you look at Angelina Jolie or Madonna, they don't pack on the makeup anymore. They have natural looking skin with a natural lip, then heavy mascara on the eyes," said Noor. "For a lot of women, there is no amount of mascara that can give them that length or that lift, so extensions are an option."


The cost of getting extensions depends on the expertise of the stylist, but on average it costs $300 to $350 for the initial set and then $75 to $150 for the refills.


"When broken down by day, it's not more than their daily cup of coffee so for many women, it's becoming a viable solution," said Noor.


But if you haven't had lash extensions, don't feel like you've been left out of the inner beauty circle. Even Torrie was a novice when she came to Xtreme Lashes for help. If you watched the show, then you already know that she made the right decision as she looked gorgeous the whole time. But it wasn't just her luscious lashes that got her through the jungle.


"Torrie has this inner and this physical strength and I just knew she was going to do well on the show," said Noor. "She's one of those people who came from humble beginnings. She a great example of someone who didn't' give up to get her dream. I was really impressed with her when I met her."


On her reality show, "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me out of Here!," which premiered in June, Torrie nearly made it to the end. She was named the runner-up to winner Lou Diamond Phillips.

Meet Houston's hottest bachelors on 'Holidate'

How far would you go to find Mr. Right? Houston's own adventurous Cynthia Hunt and hopeless romantic Jacky were willing to swap cities and dating pools to find out if their match was out there - and they were willing to do while being filmed on SOAPnet's newest dating reality show.

That's right. On Wednesday night Cynthia Hunt, a skin care products company vice president and freelance journalist from Houston, will swap places with Jacky Reres, a regional account manager from Los Angeles.

GETTING TO KNOW THE GIRLS

"I never thought I would do something like this, but my friends talked me into it," said Cynthia.

Each of the women decided to do the show for different reasons. For Jacky, it was all about finding true love.

"I'm a hopeless romantic and I believe it is possible to find someone in another city," said Jacky, who is also in the process of writing a romance novel. "LA is a difficult place to date. A lot of people are in the entertainment business and not focused on having a relationship. For me, at this point in my life, a long term relationship is what I want."

But Cynthia had a different reason.

"I find it a challenge to find guys who are strong enough for me," said Cynthia. "The show was about real women dating real men."

Cynthia says the show addresses the epidemic of smart, single, successful women in their 30s like her.

"I felt it was very pro-woman. I wasn't asked to get in a bikini and hop in a hot tub. I didn't have to do anything I didn't want to do," said Cynthia.

In fact, the crew and producers made sure the girls were comfortable about everything they did on the show. Cynthia says they made her feel like Cinderella.

"I told them that I would rather eat maggots than wear a bathing suit on TV and they were okay with that," said Cynthia. "From the moment I started, they treated me like I was special and tried to make it the best experience that they could."

THE HOLIDATE DATES WITH THE HOTTEST BACHELORS IN HOUSTON

So what did the the girls have to do?

Well, each of the girls had to go on three blind dates with guys the other girl set them up with. And the dates sounded pretty darn good.

Cynthia said her dates included a helicopter ride and dinner, a Harley ride and beach date, and a hike and then dinner at an exclusive restaurant that was open just for the two of them. Don't these sound fabulous? I'm beginning to think that I need a Holidate.

"Men should watch the show just to learn how to plan a creative date. One thing these bachelors all did was plan creative fun dates," said Cynthia.

Cynthia's bachelors were as exciting as her excursions and included an account executive and a fitness model.

But what surprised Cynthia was surprised that the network set her up with one bachelor that was nearly 10 years younger than her. While she normally doesn't date guys that young, by the end of the date, she was glad she gave him a chance.

"One of the guys they set me up with was 29-years-old and I'm 38. I have gotten over it now, and he was very mature and an old soul. He was actually a male model who was living in LA, but was from Houston," said Cynthia.

But just like other reality shows, there were some conditions to the dates. The girls were not allowed to talk to the dates when the camera was off so if you're watching the show, you will know as much about the men as they do.

Also, all their dates were on camera...and if you've been on a blind date recently you already know how nerve wracking they can be. Just imagine it being caught on camera for the world to see. Talk about stress.

"It was stressful to date on camera. It's just not natural. But you can still figure out if you have a connection or not," said Cynthia.

Jacky, too, went on three dates. Her bachelors included a senior consultant, marketing executive and an architect. The guys took her to all the hot spots in the city. In fact, one Houston restaurant, Tony's at 3755 Richmond, is even making the Holidate drink in honor of the show. It's PAMA (a pomegranate liqueur), cranberry and pineapple juice over ice.

"All my dates were around Houston. They were in places that the guys wanted to me to experience while I was in their city and that they thought that I would enjoy," said Jacky.

Being the ultimate romantic, Jacky wouldn't reveal which date was her favorite or where the guys took her. But just like Cynthia, Jacky learned to expand her dating boundaries.

"Everyone has their criteria of what they want in somebody. I found out that many of my preconceived notions of how somebody would be, based on what they did for a living or their interests, was not what I expected," said Jacky.

Jacky says that usually she'll give up on the guy and leave a date in five minutes if she feels it isn't working. With the show, she couldn't do that. She had to stick it out.

"The show forced me to sit through the duration of the date," said Jacky. "I learned that maybe I should stick out my dates in my real life because you can learn a lot about a person if you hang in there. Maybe they would have been a good match for you if you hadn't blown them off in 5 minutes."

SO HOW DID THE BACHELORS RATE?

The girls weren't allowed to reveal how their dates went. You'll have to tune into the Houston show to find out.

BUT they did let a few things slide....

"Jacky's Houston guys were three sexy gentlemen," said Cynthia. "Ryan, Sam and Rob are all confident and adventurous."

"Guys in Texas are definitely better than LA boys," said Jacky.

Hmmm...sounds like these Houston boys are the ones you single girls should look for -- unless you're not into confident, hot, sexy men.

The girls also had advice for the single people out there:

"Keep an open mind. Maybe the person for you isn't in the city that you live in; maybe they are somewhere else," said Jackie.

"Prince Charming doesn't come knocking on your door. You need to get out, network and let your friends set you up. You have to work at it just like you worked at everything else in your life. It doesn't just magically happen like it does in the movies," said Cynthia.

Now that's good advice from girls who know.

You can catch the Houston episode on Wednesday at 9 p.m. on SOAPnet

Beyonce is the bomb

This weekend when I had the chance to meet Beyonce, I was both psyched and a little apprehensive - because meeting people you've seen in magazines can be a little bit like finding out Santa Claus isn't real.

I know they are all airbrushed to look perfect, but a little part of me really wants the illusion to be real.

So when Beyonce Knowles came back to her hometown of Houston to promote her "Show your helping hand" campaign, I couldn't resist covering the story for the station. Not only was this a great non-profit event that would help Houston's hungry, but I would discover whether the image was real.

SO WAS SHE REAL?

Let me just tell you, Beyonce is bigger than life. Literally.

She may say she's 5 feet 6 inches on paper, but when you see her in person, she seems like she's at least 6 feet tall. Of course, she was wearing these gorgeous four inch heels.

She's also stunning. Really stunning. I swear, her skin is flawless and her hair is fabulous. She's one of those women that make you say "wow". Just take a look at these photos that I took at the press conference and judge for yourself. Yup...she's gorgeous.

But what really makes her incredible is her sense of humor and down to earth personality. Even though she is super famous, she has been able to keep it real. She's even still in touch with her childhood pastor, Rudy Rasmus of St. John's Downtown Church. In fact, he was there supporting her and helping to promote the importance of donating food to Houston's Food Banks.

Pastor Rudy says the cause was important to Beyonce because she had witnessed poverty growing up as a child in Houston.

"Beyonce grew up sitting in a pew beside hungry people," said Pastor Rudy. "She grew up in a church in downtown Houston."

Beyonce says that the "Show your helping hand" campaign is one of the ways that she can spread the word that hunger exists in the United States.

"To know that I can use my voice to do something that helps people makes me feel good," said Beyoncé, when asked why she partnered with General Mills Hamburger Helper for the cause. "There is no better feeling than giving back."

STILL A HOUSTON GIRL AT HEART

Sure Beyonce is beautiful and wants to help people, but what got me was that she is still a down-home Houston girl at heart. She's still got the southern accent and still says "y-awl". She's also got her family close to her heart.

"It's July 4 and my mom made gumbo. It was hard to leave her house," said Beyonce.

Gotta love a girl who loves her homemade gumbo.

Where were you when you heard about Michael Jackson?

Where were you when your heard the Michael Jackson news? I remember exactly where I was. I was in the news room, writing the 5 p.m. stories for the Web when Lucy Nolan came running over and whispered, "Did you hear Michael Jackson was just rushed to the hospital?"

Instant shock. It couldn't be.

A quick look through the news wires and -- nothing. The only place reporting that Jackson was in hospital was TMZ.

But could we really believe them? I mean, I love TMZ, but they are not exactly CNN.

Panic set in. We called up our Los Angeles affiliates. What had they heard? Was it true? Turns out it wasn't a hoax, so we started writing up the story for KHOU.com.

But just as we finished gathering as many facts as we could, the story changed.

Michael, the King of Pop, was now dead.

PAYING TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON

Since then Michael Jackson has taken over the news and so has his dance moves. In fact, I'm kind of wishing I would have mastered the moonwalk. Yes, I'm embarrassed to admit that I did take lessons as a kid, and while I was able to do the "Worm", I never could smoothly do the moonwalk.

Then, there's the classic Thriller dance. People are doing it everywhere. In fact, I saw a couple people doing it over the weekend at Wild West. And in the Philippines, a bunch of inmates even did it (check out embedded YouTube video).


So now that you are all dancing in front of your computer, in honor of Michael, let's sing:

'Cause this is thriller, thriller night

And no one's gonna save you from the beast about strike

You know it's thriller, thriller night

You're fighting for your life inside a killer, thriller tonight

Saying goodbye to Farrah

Growing up, I used to want to be a Charlie's Angel. They were smart, strong and leading ladies of the 1970s and Texas' own Farrah was one of the originals.

But even though she was a legend in her own way, she stayed down to earth. In fact, one of my co-workers says she still used to visit a friend here in Houston, who happened to have a child in her son's class. She tells me that the former "Angel" was always a true Texan at heart: always real and always generous.

Now she's gone and believe it or not, I could not find any "Farrah tribute" events anywhere in Houston. So I've decided to do my own little tribute to the Texan girl based on what I've learned.

1) Smile, because it can't hurt, even in the bad times.

2) Even supermodels can have bad hair days.

3) Never take anything for granted.

4) Be positive and never give up living - even if you have cancer.

5) Always keep your family and friends close to you.

Oh, and I thought I'd share this old commercial. My friend sent it to me from YouTube. I don't remember the commerical, but I do remember seeing the shampoo bottle in my mom's bathroom.

A little bit of sultry Kristina Mills jazz is good for the soul

So far in Texas, I've seen rock, gospel, disco, country and Honky Tonk bands. So on Saturday, it was time to check out a little jazz.

One of my favorite ways to hear a musician is in an intimate setting. For me it's the ultimate soul session and that's exactly what you'll get if you ever have the chance to check out Houston vocalist Kristine Mills.

Known for her spine-tingling performances and bold sassy vocals, Houston jazz singer Kristine Mills was breaking new ground in the music scene with the debut of her third album, called bossanovafied. But watching Kristine perform you realize that she doesn't just sing, but becomes part of the music. She sways, she conducts the band and she guides the audience through the songs.

From the first note of her jazzy rendition of "I Love Paris," I was instantly immersed into the music. Listening to her voice, which ranges from throaty and soulful to soft and sensual, you forget about everything else. It's just you, Kristine and her 4-piece band...and of course the other 100 people sitting with you in the room.

But somehow, you don't mind them being there because as Kristine says, they are part of the performance.

"The audience is absorbing what we are doing. At first it's kind of like eavesdropping and then they get involved in our musical conversation. The way that they respond includes me in their conversation," Kristine said.

Compared to many of today's performers, who are all about the show and less about the songs, Kristine's performance style feels organic, clean and real. There is no lip syncing, no choreographed dance moves and no special effects.

Even her lyrics feel organic, which could be because most of the songs on her new album "bossanovafied" (which is being released on May 5) came from poetry that she wrote music to.

"The lyrics for all the songs, except for three, came from poetry from somebody else. Three of the songs are mine completely - lyrics and music," Mills said.

Whatever the reason, the performance was mesmerizing. She sang everything from the blues classic "You can take my husband, but you can't have my man," to a sophisticated ballad called "Sweet Surrender," to bossanova jazz numbers from her new album.

It was the type of performance that none of us at the Mucky Duck concert wanted to end.

In fact, the only complaint we had was that the two hour concert was too short. But then again, we could have watched and listened to her for many more hours and still begged for more.

On Saturday, it seemed Kristine's vocals weren't just a jazz-inspired soul session, but good for our musical souls.

Spending the day with WWE superstar John Cena and 50 surprised kids

More than 50 kids' wishes came true at Reliant Center when World Wrestling Entertainment superstar John Cena showed up for a pizza lunch and a special fan session.

Let me just start by saying that John Cena was great with the kids. In fact, he was such a nice guy, that he is now not just the kids' hero, but mine too.

The 50 kids and their families came from all over the country to take part in the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania in Houston, and somehow, Cena was able to make each of them feel special.

"Moments like this are special for me," Cena said. "As long as Make-A-Wish wants me, I'll be happy to keep granting wishes."

Based on the response from the kids, Cena may be granting wishes for a long time. The children cheered, shook his hand and hugged the wrestling superstar as he spent a little one-on-one time with each of them. Cena also signed hats, shirts and books.

It was an afternoon these children would never forget. In fact, some of the older ones were texting and calling their friends right after meeting the wrestling superstar to share the news.

That's because the kids had no idea they were going to personally meet Cena until that moment.

"I didn't know I was going to meet John Cena until just now," said Paul, who was there with his brother, grandfather and mother. "Not until they called my name to go up and meet him."

Paul Wilson was just one of the children at the event. He was diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition a couple of years ago.

"They flew my family and I down from Indiana," said Paul. "It's my first time seeing the WWE live. I've only seen it on TV."

Over the weekend, the kids had a private tour of the Houston Zoo, an autograph session with the WWE Superstars and Divas, a special WrestleMania Axxess event and of course, the Make-A-Wish pizza party with special guest John Cena.

Paul's grandfather, William Wilson, says the entire event came as a surprise. (Paul is the boy in the orange t-shirt and glasses in the photo).

"They asked if we were available this weekend and flew us out first class from Indiana. It's been nice. We didn't need to worry about anything," said Wilson.

Watching the kids laugh and smile, you almost forgot that each of them had a life-threatening condition, including Paul.

"They found a tumor in my brain when I was 16. That's when I joined the Make-A-Wish Foundation," said Paul.

Paul was one of the luckier kids in the room as his condition is currently in remission. His grandfather said that after they found the tumor, Paul underwent intense radiation treatment.

"He just had a MRI and it came back clear. So we're hoping it stays that way," said Wilson.

But just in case the tumor does return, the family is thankful for each day and especially for the support they've gotten from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"The foundation has been really wonderful. I can't say enough good things about them," Wilson said.

Pianist Jade Simmons says record deal was like a Cinderella story

I love happy endings...or in Jade Simmons case - a happy beginning.

That's because the Houston-based musician launched her debut album with a standing-room-only concert at the Rockefeller on March 23. Yay!!

Like many artists, Jade has worked hard to get to where she is today. In fact, getting the record deal was a dream come true, but according to the 31-year-old pianist, how it happened was unexpected.

"I had always heard these Cinderella stories and wondered why it never happened to me. But this was one of those instances," said Simmons.

Simmons' concert management called her up last April with a last minute opportunity to perform with a small orchestra in Long Island.

"The piece they wanted me to play was 'Rhapsody in Blue,' and truth be told, I had never played the piece before. I had a month to learn it, so it was a little risky, but I took the risk," said Simmons.

Simmons was glad she agreed to the last minute concert, because it turned out that two of the record executives moonlighted in the orchestra.

They heard she was coming to play, did some research on her, and then gave her a call.

"They wanted to know if I was interested in recording and what kind of music I would like to record. I pitched this project and it was almost an instant record deal," said Simmons.

It sounds easy, but Simmons has spent her life preparing for this moment, not really knowing if a record deal would ever happen. She's been playing piano since she was 8 years old, but all the work paid off. When opportunity knocked, she was ready to walk through the door.

Her debut album is called "The Rhythm Project: Revolutionary Rhythm," and the CD is a reflection of her affinity for rhythmic music. The album highlights music from four different American composers, including Samuel Barber and John Corigliano, as well as Austin-based electronic music guru Russell Pinkston and DBR (Daniel Bernard Roumain).

"I've kind of carved out a niche for myself in the classical world by playing music that has a more rhythmic vibe on the piano," said Simmons.

Simmons' personal style comes alive on the album and is apparent in the pieces written by DBR. On these pieces, she and a colleague created electronic hip-hop beats to go along with the music. The result is a sound that follows the same vein as what Missy Elliot or Timbaland would do.

"With those pieces I got to live out the whole rock star/hip-hop fantasy. I really wanted to have a CD that reflected who I was personally and be shown as not your everyday classical performer," said Simmons.

Simmons says the recording setting was comfortable and that part of the process was easy. The hardest part for her was post production.

"I think for artists this is often the trickiest part, because you have in your head your own conception on how you want the world to see you and the record label has to think about how they are going to sell records," said Simmons.

For the most part, everything about the CD has gone well, and Simmons is excited about the final product. But what was most important to her was that she was shown as a musician and not marketed as a young woman who was the first runner-up at the 2000 Miss America Pageant.

"What I want people to remember about me is not how I look, but how I sound," said Simmons. "I feel lucky that all things have come together, but what was hard for me, and I think for a lot of female artists, is making sure the right things are being marketed."

"The Rhythm Project" is being released on March 24 and Simmons wanted to debut it in the city she calls her home.

"I came to Houston to go to grad school and never left. I feel like the art scene here is open enough to receive everything at we are trying to do," said Simmons.

Simmons also had a special guest with her at the Houston concert. Roburt Reynolds (AKA Room 101) joined her for part of the concert to play live electronic beats on stage to a few of the pieces.

Could you win the Amazing Race?

Thousands of people send in video tapes for their chance to get on the Amazing Race, but only a select few are chosen. Houston's Jodi Wincheski was one of them.

"I also wanted to be on the show since the first episode," said Wincheski.

The cool thing is Wincheski isn't some wanna-be-actor. She's actually a 40-year-old single mom who works as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines. In other words, she could be your next door neighbor.

Wincheski said was hoping to do the race with her best friend from Oregon, but it didn't work out because of their schedules. Instead, she decided to audition with 37-year-old Christy Volkmer, another flight attendant.

But the two women didn't just want to be on the show; they wanted to win.

BUFFING UP TO WIN

If you have ever seen The Amazing Race, you know that they make the contestants do crazy things. They may have to brave heights, run up hundreds of stairs, or crab-crawl while carrying the biggest chunk cheese you've ever seen in order to get to their destination. The race is definitely not for the out-of-shape couch potato.

So what does it take to compete? Well, unless you are already a fitness fiend, it takes months of training.

"We started training as soon as we heard we were accepted," said Wincheski. "We started in May and the show was shot in November."

Wincheski is a dedicated fan of The Amazing Race and has not missed a season. She told me that no two women have ever won and Season 14 promises to be the most extreme race to date.

"I can't tell you about the race, but I can tell you that's it's their most extreme race. There are extreme temperatures and extreme tasks," said Wincheski. "Christy and I knew that we would be challenged."

JODI AND CHRISTY'S PLAN

Wincheski says they focused on strength training. She worked out four days a week with weights and tried to do cardio on the other days.

"My boyfriend Eric used to be a professional baseball player, so he put the training program together for me," said Wincheski. "I told him I wanted to put on muscle and lose weight."

Eric came up with a workout which supersets muscles. Basically what this does, is work select muscle groups so that the body is working continuously to get the maximum amount of benefit in the shortest amount of time.

Eric's program had Wincheski working opposing muscle groups on alternate days. So on day 1, she would work her back, legs and biceps. Then on day 2, she would work her chest muscles, shoulders, triceps and abs.

In addition to the training with weights, Wincheski also did other activities including indoor rock climbing and archery lessons. But she also did some unusual tasks.

"My dad had a weird dream that we would need to climb a rope during the race, so we set one up in the backyard. You just never know and we wanted to be prepared for everything," said Wincheski.

Rope climbing was only the beginning of their random fitness tests. To prepare for the challenge, the women did everything from bowling to shooting hoops to get ready for the race. But Wincheski's secret weapon was her passion for beach volleyball.

"Beach volleyball is good for stamina," said Wincheski. "We have a court set up in the backyard."

I checked it out and she was telling the truth. The entire backyard is filled with sand. Very cool and definitely something I may do if I ever buy a house. It was like having beachfront property - without the ocean of course.

THE AMAZING RACE WORKOUT

Wincheski looks lean, strong and incredible. She said before Eric's workout, she needed to drop a few pounds and didn't have the muscle tone she has now.

"On Eric's workout, I got a lot stronger and I'm glad. There's a reason why guys always win. We had to build up upper body strength," said Wincheski.

She told me that after you watch the first episode on February 15, you'll understand why strength was so important. But until then, here are two of Wincheski's workout moves:

EXERCISE 1

STEP UPS:

Works: Hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes.

You'll need a sturdy chair for this exercise. To increase the challenge, perform the exercise holding hand weights.

Step 1: Start with your legs together beside the chair.

Step 2: Step up with your right leg onto the chair.

Step 3: Bring your left leg up and keep it bent.

Step 4: Step down off the chair, with your left leg landing on the ground first.

Step 5: Repeat the move again, beginning with the left leg first.

Do three sets of 10 on each leg.

EXERCISE 2

Building up core strength was also important. Wincheski did four different ab exercises to flatten her tummy, tone her muscles and build up core strength.

PHYSIO-BALL ABS

Works: Abs and rotator cuff

Step 1: Sit on a stability ball holding a hand weight. Walk your feet away from the ball and roll down until only your shoulders and upper back are on the ball.

Step 2: Lift the weight over your head. Wincheski uses a 10 pound weight, but if that's too heavy,you can use a lighter weight.

NOTE: If you are a beginner and this is tough, don't use any weight at all and keep your arms at your side rather than over your head.

Step 3: Slowly raise your upper body to a seated position on the ball, bringing the weight over your head as you do.

Try not to use momentum to bring your body up, but use your ab muscles. A way to resist using momentum is to raise your body while slowly counting to four.

LAST MINUTE AMAZING RACE TIPS

In case you're planning to enter the Amazing Race next season, Wincheski says it's not all about strength. Communication is also important.

"Christy and I promised to stay a team and not fight," said Wincheski.

They also studied languages and geography before the show, because they had no idea where they were going to be sent.

"I brushed up on Spanish, Portuguese and Italian and Christy focused on German and French," said Wincheski.

Most importantly, they maintained their friendship and focused on each other's strengths, rather than tearing apart their weaknesses.

Amazing advice, from two amazing women.

Gloria Gaynor is absolutely divine

If Gloria Gaynor is a diva, then I want some of her diva-ness to wash off on me. I had the chance to meet her this week while she was in Houston for her concert and she is absolutely divine!!

"I try not to be a diva," said Gaynor. "I really try not to bother anyone with anything beyond what I need that I can't get myself."

Gaynor may be a diva on the stage (because who can deny her incredible voice and stage presence), but when not performing she is gracious, classy and humble. In fact, when I met her at lunch and complimented her on her fabulous red printed overwrap, she was almost shy.

"Thanks. It was something that was easy," said Gaynor, referring to the outfit.

SINGING WITH THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY

Thirty years after her hit "I Will Survive" went number one, Gaynor kicked off her celebration tour in Houston with a concert. But this wasn't your traditional disco concert. It was special and something that was new -- even for Gaynor.

You see, months ago she was approached by Sean O'Loughlin from the Houston Symphony who said he'd like to create some special arrangements just for her.

"I was thrilled and honored for the opportunity. I had never performed with a full symphony before," said Gaynor.

The months leading up to the January 23 performance, Gaynor's excitement continued to grow as she heard snippets of the arrangements from O'Loughlin.

"I haven't heard it all together," said Gloria, the day before the concert. "I'll be hearing just a few hours before the audience will, but from what I've heard, it's going to be 'wow'."

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED...

"Wow" doesn't even describe the concert, and those who attended agree.

"This was my best night in my life. I have been listening to Gloria Gaynor for years and I still play 'I Will Survive' whenever I'm down," said Aida West, concert attendee.

Right from the first song, "Goin' Out of My Head," Gaynor had the audience captivated. She sang all of her hits including "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "I Am What Am," and then threw in a couple of her favorite all time songs, including an upbeat version of "Every Breath You Take" and Barbara Streisand's "The Way We Were." She even honored a young "diva," Christina Aguilera.

"Sometimes an artist does a song that you wish you could have done," said Gaynor, as she prepped the audience for her rendition of Aguilera's 'Beautiful.' "I promised you something old, something new, something borrowed, but nothing blue. Well...this one is borrowed."

But the song that blew many people away was Gaynor's version of "Killing Me Softly." Combined with the powerful sound of the symphony behind her, the song sounded like it was made for Gaynor's voice. In fact, the very first note brought the crowd to a spontaneous applause.

THE GLORIA GAYNOR MOMENT WE CAME FOR

While the concert was incredible, let's face it, everyone was really there for one thing: To hear the Disco Diva sing her Grammy winning hit, "I Will Survive."

Now, let me just say that before the concert, I was worried that the song would loose some of its disco power with the symphony behind it, but you'll be glad to hear, that I was completely wrong. It was even better!

From the moment Gloria started with "First I was afraid...," she had the entire audience clapping and cheering. Then, when she got into the verses, we were singing along - because why not? We all knew the words and frankly, Gloria didn't seem to mind. She was dancing and beaming just like the rest of us.

And at the end of the song, we couldn't even give her a standing ovation, because we were already were standing. It was an incredible experience and I'm sure if Gloria decided to sing that song again in her encore, none of us would have complained. Of course, she didn't. She came out and did a Marvin Gaye classic which was just as good.

BUT IT WASN'T OVER

Whew...you would think after a high like that, the night would be over. Well, not quite - at least it wasn't over for a few hundred of her fans who decided to buy a ticket to the after-party.

After the concert, the theatre transformed the stage area into a modern version of Studio 54 complete with a DJ, leather sofas and of course, a disco ball. While sipping on wine and cocktails, fans dance, mingled and re-lived the night by discussing their favorites.

But that's not all. Gloria Gaynor was also at the party and spent hours taking pictures with fans, talking with them and just being her gracious, fabulous self. It was a night all those who attended would cherish.

"It was a memorable night," said Jason Hose. "I was surprised that she came to Houston. And after tonight, I feel like I can do anything."

Kicking back at the Latin Grammy After Party

I must admit that have a weakness for Latin music. But I didn't realize how much I missed it until I walked into the George R. Brown Convention Center and heard Oscar d'Leon belting out a popular salsa tune during the Latin Grammy after party.

It only took a verse, and I was already moving to the music and ready to take in the Latin Grammy nightlife.

Now let me just say that after the Latin Grammy Awards show on Thursday night, there were parties everywhere throughout the city, but there is only one "official" after party...and that is one put on by the Academy.

The official party is a black tie affair and only Academy members, Grammy nominees and winners, and special guests are invited - or at least is that is what I was told. I'm sure there were some other people there-- but don't worry, your secret is safe with me.

For those of you that were there, you know that night which was sponsored by Heineken was filled with great food, fabulous Mojitos and unforgettable music.

The night began with a performance by up-and-coming Latin artist De la Ghetto.

Ghetto has just recently released a few songs, and while his name sounds like he should be tough and scary, he was a really down-to-earth guy when I talked to him. And for the girl-fans out there, he really is kind of sweet.

Ghetto's performance was followed by the legendary Latin superstar Oscar d'Leon, who I totally love. Like I said, I enjoy Latin music, but had no idea that d'Leon sang so many of my favorite songs.

But what made my night was Frankie Needles.

Frankie was the official host, emcee and DJ of the event. It was his third year doing the official after party for the Latin Grammys, but what I didn't know was that Frankie took his job as "host" serious.

No really...Frankie made sure that me and my photographer, Christine DiStadio, not only met De la Ghetto and d'Leon, but made sure that we got pictures of most of the stars that were present at the show including actress Claudia Camacho and singer/songwriter Melissa Jimenez from Kumbia AllStarz.

Of course, Needles is a superstar himself. He's has a cable show on mun2 called "One Nation Under Hip Hop." He also has a syndicated radio program on LBC and Westwood "One called The Top 20 Latin-Urban Countdown. But what you may not know is that Needles is big into helping new artists.

He found De la Ghetto and made sure he got into the Grammys, and he's also worked with other artists over the last 10 years.

"It's what I like to do," said Needles. "I know what it's like to start out in this business, so I try to help new artists break into the music scene."

Needles is true to his word. He's even in the process of making his first album that will include a mix of new and well-known artists - many of whom he helped break into the business. He told me that many of the songs for the CD, which is due out in January, are already done.

"Pooh Bear, who produced a couple of Usher's songs, helped with the first song,"

said Needles. "I'm also doing one that combines the talents of a Cuban band with the Marley's from Jamaica."

But while Needles career is booming, Thursday night, he was there for the attendees. It was all about having fun and making sure that the crowd that included actresses, Grammy winners and everyday people were having a good time.

"It's like doing a big wedding," said Needles, when asked how he decides which songs to DJ. "You have to spin the music in a way that pleases everyone."

That's a hard job when your audience includes Mexicans, Cubans, Columbians and other Latinos, as well as newbies like me. (That's me pointing at Frankie in the photo to the right).

But when it was Frankie's turn up on stage, I was amazed. He was even more fabulous than the Urban Hip Hop videos I had watched. He was able to mix pop music with Latino mix with Hip Hop classics.

Once he got up there up in the booth and began mixing up his magic Latin beat, it was non-stop dancing all night.

Naturally, I had to do a little salsa dancing too...because how often do you get to attend the Latin Grammy after party? 

What's hot and fabulous in the Latin Grammys swag bags?

It seems everyone I meet is getting in on the Latin Grammy action this week. My co-workers will be reporting from the red carpet, I'll be hanging out at the after-party interviewing celebs and watching the very cool Frankie Needles who will be DJing the event.

Even my friends who aren't working that night have either bought tickets to the show or are seat-fillers and ushers. But none of that compares to what one Houstonian is doing.

"I'm a personal shopper for the celebrities," said Jennifer Joseph.

Yup...that's right. Jennifer has one of the coolest volunteer jobs that I've discovered so far at the Grammys. She and a bunch of other volunteers, including Cynthia Alcocer, Guadalupe Velasco, and Zhenia Angles, will be personally guiding the Latin Grammys nominees down an aisle filled with vendors to help them pick out what they would like in their gift bag.

"We get to meet them AND help them shop," said Cynthia.

So...is there anyone in particular they really want to meet? Most of the girls were too shy to tell me, but Guadalupe had her favorite celeb already picked out.

"Eugenio Siller. He is in a Mexican Telenovelas," said Guadalupe.

While I wouldn't mind meeting Eugenio myself, I wasn't there for the Latino eye-candy. I was there to find out what free stuff they would be getting -- with the help of Jennifer and her newly acquired celebrity shopping skills.

SO WHAT'S IN THE BAG?

In total, there were 10 vendors who had merchandise ready to give away to the presenters and nominees. The cost for each of the items is approximate, but based on the retail values we found on the internet -- a full swag bag would contain close to $1,200 worth of merchandise, not including the free trip.

If you were Latin Grammy talent, here is what you would get:

Maru and Friends Doll
Maru and her friends are new to the doll market, but are becoming popular among the celebrity class. Each doll is sculpted by award-winning American doll artist, Dianna Effner, who has been making collectible porcelain dolls for over 25 years. The dolls are famous for their realistic childlike features and each one of the dolls is one of a kind.

"They have the detail of a porcelain doll, but are safe and fun to play with like regular dolls," said Maritza Gutierrez, Creator.

The Latin nominees can pick out a doll of their choice and a "Forever Friends" story book. Together, the doll and book are worth approximately $100.00

Houston's Own Xtreme Lashes
Xtreme Lashes is a Houston-based company that usually does shows like this in other cities. But this time they were thrilled to have the opportunity to "extend" their services to the 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.

That's because in addition to providing presenters and nominees with a gift bag filled with eye makeup remover, a heated lash curler and more, the stylists will also apply eyelash extensions of the talent's choice ($300 and up value) for free.

"We have a booth set up and can apply the lashes right now if they want, or we can do it in their hotel room later on," said Jo Mousselli, company president. "With celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Estefan coming to the show, you never know who will need our services."

The semi-permanent lashes are available in various lengths, colors, thicknesses and curl, so the Latin stars have the chance to go as wild, or as natural, as they want.

GoChi Juice
GoChi is the juice of the stars. Retailing at $50 a bottle, just four ounces of this stuff will help you sleep better, relieve stress, and increase your energy. The berries are harvested from the Himalayans and are packed full of nutrients.

Latin celebs will also get to try Chi3 which is a new powerful energy drink that has only 16 calories and 3 grams of sugar. Not bad considering Red Bull has 110 calories and Rockstar has 420.

Luxury Vacation in Cabo Villas
Ah...the trip. After working hard all year long, what Latin performer doesn't need a luxury vacation in the "heart of the Cabo?" Cabo Villas Beach Resort is giving away gift certificates for three day and two night vacations at their beach resort and spa. But they aren't just giving away a traditional room. The celebs will get to stay in one bedroom deluxe suites.

"If you have never been, you need to go there. It's heaven," said Sabrina Franchini, Marketing and PR Manager for the resort.

Thirsty Bathrobes
I must say, these were nice, and range in price from $100-$200 depending on which one you picked out. Made from Turkish cotton, the bathrobes felt soft and luxurious.

"We're a family owned company from Pennsylvania. My mom is the owner," said Duygu, who was there at the show. "For the celebrities, we are featuring a special Swarovski crystal robe."

Redken Hair Products
Redken was offering celebs their complete line of "Real Control" hair care products. The Latin superstars could get everything from shampoo and conditioner, to the hair repair and leave-in treatments.

"The line was especially designed for dense, coarse hair to help keep it in control," said Kaz Amor, who is one of Redken's partners from West Hollywood . "But some of them, like the overnight treatment, works for all hair types."

The total line is worth approximately $75.

Chi Flat Irons and Other Chi Products
Chi is famous for their ceramic flat irons. But when it comes to handing out celebrity treats, the company holds nothing back. The lucky Latin nominees will receive a Chi Digital Ceramic Flat Iron that comes in a little bag ($80), the full color line of Chi nail polish ($50), a Miss Chi bath and perfume gift set ($50), and a scented candle. Men can choose clippers and trimmers.

"We use NASA technology to develop our products. Even our nail polish is made using CHI ceramic for long lasting durability," said Jessica Marie Gutierrez, Public Relations Manager for the company.

Gayle Gaston Jewelry
It's not a true swag bag unless it has a little bling, and Galye Gaston's jewelry designs have the shine to make it happen.

"The women will be getting rhodium plated sterling silver earrings with high intensity cubic zirconia," said Santago Postigo, who works as the company's International Director of Sales & Marketing.

But if the $40 earrings weren't enough, the celebrities could also choose from a wide array of necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Cubavera Clothing for Men
Now, this was something strictly for the men, but something that the women would love. Cubavera clothing is a men's line that embraces the Latin culture. The clothes are modern, stylish and casual. Priced around $60, Latin Grammy presenters and nominees could pick out a shirt -- or two -- so that they would not only look good during the show, but anytime.

Oh, and the clothes not only look good, but they are environmentally friendly. They are made from 100% organic fibers.

Sinceramente Hallmark
The Latin Grammy swag bag offers something for everyone. There are even Spanish singing greeting cards with actual famous singers such as Luis Miquel.

"This collection is new from Hallmark and we are giving the Latin Grammy celebrities a gift bag with 10 Spanish singing greeting cards," said Noeida Kuhnert, Business Manager of Sinceramente Hallmark. "We also have boom box cards that are really loud."

SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM
With so many things to choose from, what happens if a celebrity just wants one of everything?

"No problem. We can do that," said Jennifer. "They can have whatever they want."

Jennifer and the other volunteers will be leading the celebrities through the booths until 9pm on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday afternoon.

Distinctive Assets is the company behind this year's Latin Grammy gift bags (they've done for the last eight years). They said that the gifts that I saw were for only one of the two gift bags the celebs will receive.

Talent will also get another bag full of fabulous items from companies such as Pardon By Spanglish by Bill Santiago, Verizon Wireless, Banyan Tree Mayakoba, B&B Fit, Context Global, The Sports Club, Hilton Los Cabos, Traveling Bear and more.

California Dreamin' with The Beach Boys in Galveston

Who needs California when you've got Galveston? Sure they get hit with hurricanes every 20 years, but California's got those massive earthquakes. It seems that if you want to live in paradise, you've got to be willing to lose everything ...and then laugh about it.

At least, that 's the way the 7,000 fans attending The Beach Boys concert in Galveston saw it.

I spoke to people who no longer had homes, were living off of family and friends, and had lost everything. Then there were the people that had their house, but were still struggling to make it a home.

"Well, it's livable. There's no power, but we're living in it," said one Beach Boy fan.

Man, that's harsh. But these beach-side Texans are tough. They knew what to expect, unlike Gail and Brooks Hirsch who had moved to Galveston from New Jersey just two years ago.

"We rode out the storm. We thought it would be like a New York blizzard and we could just shovel out the next day. Nobody told us about all the water," said Gail, while laughing.

But while Hurricane Ike hovered in the background of these people's lives, the future was sending them some good vibrations - and it was starting with Moody Gardens' Beach Boys concert that doubled as an affordable fundraiser (lawn tickets were only $20 and part of the ticket proceeds went the United Way).

After a month and a half of cleanup, Galveston was ready to open their doors to tourists and locals, and there is no better way to do it than with the boys of summer - California's own Beach Boys.

The gates opened at 5 p.m., with the first band, The Intercoastal Pirates hitting the stage at 6:30. They warmed up the audience with their mix of 60s and 70s music.

The next band was a local favorite from Baytown, called the Coastliners. (That's me in the red jacket getting quick interview withTommy Meekins)

"Back in the 1960s, we were called the Gulf Coast's answer to The Beach Boys," said Tommy Meekins, singer and keyboardist for the band.

The Coastliners had six number one hits in the 1960s, and toured with bands including Sonny and Cher, and Roy Orbison. Over 40 years later, the band is still performing with many of their original members and a couple of new additions.

"My son joined the group when we reformed in 1998. He plays lead guitar," said Tommy.

The Coastliners thrilled the audience with hits from the 1960s and 1970s. They also played a few of their original songs that got the crowd out of their lawn chairs and dancing away.

And then it was the moment the crowd had been waiting for. It was time for Mike Love and The Beach Boys to hit the stage. I tried to get an interview with Mike Love, but he's a slippery little devil. Even though I staked myself out backstage, he snuck right past me. It wasn't until the lights when up on the stage that my photographer and I realized we missed him.

But so did all the other fans waiting behind the stage. Not that it mattered. We weren't there to talk; we were there for some California Dreamin'. And after singing and dancing under the stars, The Beach Boys gave their fans the relief they needed from the storm.