A Cheagle is a cross between a Beagle and a Chihuahua. Crossing a small dog with a medium-sized dog results in a dog that matures at about 12 pounds. Cheagles often have beagle-like heads with the smaller Chihuahua snout. Beagles tend to have happy, outgoing personalities and to get along with other animals as well as people. Chihuahuas are alert, bright little dogs requiring little exercise. The Cheagle is generally friendly, although it can be aggressive in play.

Corgidors are a mix between Labrador Retrievers and Cardigan Welsh Corgis. They tend to be medium-sized dogs and should be alert, cheerful, independent, loyal, social and responsive. As both parent breeds are good with children, these hybrids will follow the same trend.

Goldendoodles are hybrids of Golden Retrievers and Poodle purebreds. They tend to be intelligent and obedient family companions. They like to be around people and are extremely friendly. They're known for being good with children, other dogs and other pets in the family. These dogs are eager to please and love to learn, which makes them very trainable. They're good family pets with adorable faces and easy dispositions.

The Golden Dox is a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Dachshund. Golden Doxes are good with all family members and make good watchdogs, so they tend to be in love with all family members but wary of strangers. They're friendly, intelligent, gentle, alert, loyal and cheerful. These dogs get along well with children and other dogs and pets in the family. They're also easy to socialize. This makes them unsuitable as guard dogs, but they will alert the family of an approaching stranger and can be good watchdogs. They tend to be high-energy and do require lots of mental and physical stimulation. They're generally eager to play with their owners and easy to train. They make great family pets.

The Labradoodle is a cross between a purebred Labrador Retriever and a purebred Poodle. These hybrids are friendly, loving, cheerful and social. They're suitable for all members of the family, from children to seniors. Labradoodles are very intelligent and can learn and perform simple and complex tricks. They're very active and need lots of physical activity to stay in shape and to relieve their excess energy. Labradoodles are alert and make good watchdogs. These dogs are very family oriented and don't like to be left alone for long. They're excellent dogs to have as family pets.

The Malti-Poo is a cross between a purebred Poodle and a purebred Maltese. These dogs are very gentle and have a sweet disposition. They're intelligent, loyal and affectionate. They're known to be very good with children as they're gentle and patient with them. They love to spend time with their family. These dogs like to play as much as they like to cuddle. They will signal the arrival of a stranger, but they're not very good guard dogs. Malti-Poos are highly energetic and lively dogs, but indoor play will take care of most of their exercise needs. They do, however, love to be walked.

The Puggle is the result of a cross between the Pug and the Beagle. This small dog will have the sweet and gentle temperament of its parents and will make good companions for any age. The Beagle is noted for its stable temperament and passivity, as well as for its ability to track a scent. And the Pug is well-liked for its outgoing personality and confidence, although it's largely bred for indoor companionship and is not suited for work or sport. The Puggle will have an adorable mixture of its parent breeds' more outstanding characteristics, such as long, droopy ears, wrinkles on the face, short legs and a compact, muscled body. Puggles seek human contact and have been known to tag along from one part of the house to another. Owner approval and affection can make the Puggle's day, while separation means that a Puggle will always be at the front door awaiting the owner's return, sometimes anxiously. Fairly intelligent, the Puggle adores play and seeks to please. It's not generally aggressive toward strangers but does have a tendency to bark in alarm at the approach of someone it doesn't know or in catching unfamiliar scents. They're easy to befriend and win over, however, and so will not make good guard dogs.

Shih-Poos are cross-breeds between Poodles and Shih Tzus. They make great family dogs with their great personalities. They're smart, friendly and affectionate and are known to be adorable, sweet and playful. They make a great companion dog and are fun to be with. They have a great personality and get along well with children and other dogs.

A Saint Berdoodle is a cross-breed between a Saint Bernard and a Poodle. They are lovable and energetic yet mostly quiet, smart dogs. They're enthusiastic and very playful. They also make good watchdogs. Saint Berdoodles are also really affectionate dogs, non-aggressive and uber smart. This loyal mixed breed gets along well with its people and animal family members and absolutely loves to play around. These large dogs love daily walks or running around a large yard as their exercise.

A Yorkipoo is a cross between a Poodle and a Yorkshire Terrier. Yorkipoos can be friendly with other dogs but may not be outgoing with children. Yorkipoos are full of energy and love to play. They have a sweet and gentle disposition, which makes them great companions. These dogs can be trained with a firm and consistent owner. They do love to bark and to run around and are absolutely loving and tender.

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Cricket Wireless just released the results of a study by Sentient Decision Science in January 2014 that showed that mobile tax filing is on the rise.

According to the study, 45 percent of Americans feel comfortable filing their taxes on a smartphone. The highest percentage of those willing are 18 to 29-year-olds at 56 percent, though older generations (45 to 64-year-olds) are also catching the mobile wave, with 34 percent of them saying they think mobile filing is acceptable.

With the increasing sophistication of phone apps, it was only a matter of time. Cricket's study compares their mobile-filing findings with people's comfort using a mobile wallet and storing sensitive account information. About half of all people feel comfortable with both, so mobile filing is only slightly behind that.

We stopped by the U.S. Tax Center for some more info on the pros and cons to see if we could figure out why this trend is growing.

E-filed returns are processed quickly — in about one or two days. Of course, this is only a benefit if the IRS owes you money. But if you regularly e-file, especially with the same mobile app, the app can save previous tax returns and reference those for the info you need later.

Also, when you e-file, you get an immediate confirmation that your return was received, and any filing errors will be noticed and noted within about a day. If you file a paper return, it will be weeks before you can rest assured the IRS received it — and, therefore, weeks before you find out there was a problem with your filing.

The IRS estimates that only half a percent of electronic filings come in with errors. Compare that to the rates of 10 to 21 percent for paper returns. There's also the fact that e-filed returns are easier to correct if you do make a mistake.

Electronic records can be stored online, meaning a natural disaster or fire won't destroy all your records. Many apps even allow you to store them wherever you want, like on your personal Dropbox.

Many mobile tax-filing apps allow you to file your simple federal tax returns free (at least during certain months) and may allow you to file state returns free or at a low rate. And since you don't have to leave the house, there's no dealing with the line at the post office (or spending money on gas or stamps) to get your return in on time.

E-filing helps save trees. 'Nuff said.

Mobile filing apps usually have a simple list of questions to help you get started and may offer you access to an easy-to-use answers' database — they may even give you access to a real tax professional at no or low additional cost if you have questions. The paper forms are full of confusing lines that guide you to fine-print instructions on the bottom or another page.

Before you go download your favorite mobile tax apps, make sure you know what you're getting into. There are also some drawbacks.

For some, this may be a bonus, but if you owe money, filing on paper may give you more time to raise the funds to pay.

If you plan to file through a mobile app, make sure you read the reviews to see what other people are saying. Be on the lookout for people who might have situations similar to yours and what problems they had.

If you have a situation that's complicated in some way, the IRS may require you to file on paper. If you live overseas, the only way to e-file is through a firm, so no mobile filing for you.

Electronic records are easier to save and store, especially with all the apps available on a mobile device, but there are some security concerns. The apps themselves may be secure, but the servers where your information is stored can still be hacked, so make sure you're confident in the security of the apps you use while filing your returns. Additionally, your phone can be stolen, hacked or cloned. Hopefully, if it is, you don't have your passwords saved in a note file or in your e-mail.

More on taxes

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Student loan interest: How parents can pay and give their child the deduction
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We've done our research and would be more than happy to live in one of these cities with our families. From places with four seasons to others with year-round beach weather, these destinations are calling you. We considered kid-friendly activities, the cost of living, safety and quality of schools to come up with a well-rounded list of best cities to move with kids.

Photo credit: oneillbro/iStock/360/Getty Images

Kid-friendly activities: Colorado Springs offers several museums, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, ballparks and plenty of outdoor activities, such as Garden of the Gods, Red Rock Canyon, parks and waterfalls, like Seven Falls.

Affordability: Colorado Springs is an affordable city, as the cost of living is 9.8 percent less than the national average per AreaVibes.

Safety: For detailed crime and safety information on Colorado Springs and surrounding areas, visit CrimeReports.

School ranking: In general, the schools in Colorado Springs are given a B. For school rankings in specific neighborhoods in and around Colorado Springs, visit NeighborhoodScout.

Photo credit: Bob Balestri/iStock/360/Getty Images

Kid-friendly activities: With baseball spring training, Sea Life Aquarium, the Phoenix Zoo, professional sports teams, theaters, hiking, lakes, museums, Desert Botanical Gardens and water parks like Golf Land Sun Splash, there are plenty of activities and culture for the kids to experience in and around Gilbert. If you're interested in road trips, Tombstone, Sedona and Flagstaff are a day trip away.

Affordability: The cost of living in Gilbert is equal to the national average per AreaVibes.

Safety: For detailed crime and safety information on Gilbert and surrounding areas, visit CrimeReports.

School ranking: In general, the schools in Gilbert are given a B. For school rankings in specific neighborhoods in and around Chandler, visit NeighborhoodScout.

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Kid-friendly activities: Just 25 minutes from Seattle, Bothell offers the best of both worlds. It's a nice, quiet suburb with nearby activities for the whole family. According to TripAdvisor, the kids will love the arboretum, Discovery Park, the Seattle Public Library, Chihuly Gardens and Glass, Seattle Children's Theatre and more.

Affordability: It's a little more expensive at 18 percent higher than the national average per AreaVibes.

Safety: For detailed crime and safety information on Bothell and surrounding areas, visit CrimeReports.

School ranking: In general, the school system in Bothell is given a B. For school rankings in specific neighborhoods in and around Bothell, visit NeighborhoodScout.

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Kid-friendly activities: In addition to swimming in the gorgeous beaches of Red Reef Park and South Inlet Beach Park, the kids will love to splash at Coconut Cove Waterpark or the splashpad at Sugar Sand Park. If they prefer to stay dry, they can explore the Children's Science Explorium or the Children's Museum of Boca Raton.

Affordability: The cost of living is 19 percent higher than the national average, but we'd gladly pay the premium to live minutes from the ocean.

Safety: For detailed crime and safety information on Boca Raton and surrounding areas, visit CrimeReports.

School ranking: In general, the schools in Boca Raton are given a B. For school rankings in specific neighborhoods in and around Boca Raton, visit NeighborhoodScout.

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Kid-friendly activities: With five professional sports teams, dozens of lakes, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Minnesota Children's Museum, the Como Park Zoo and nearby attractions like the Mall of America and amusement park Valleyfair, there are more things to keep busy that you'll know what to do with in the Twin Cities.

Affordability: The cost of living is just about equal with the national average, according to AreaVibes.

Safety: For detailed crime and safety information on Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding areas, visit CrimeReports.

School ranking: In general, the schools in the city of Minneapolis are given a C+. For school rankings in specific neighborhoods in and around the Twin Cities, visit NeighborhoodScout.

8 Kid-friendly things to do in the Twin Cities >>

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Kid-friendly activities: Just 20 minutes from Washington, D.C., educational, historical and cultural activities abound nearby (the Lincoln Memorial, Ford's Theatre and the Smithsonian Habitat Butterfly Garden, to name a few). For a full list of landmarks, sporting events, museums, zoos, parks and theaters, visit TripAdvisor.

Affordability: We won't fool you, Bethesda is expensive at 53 percent higher than the national average. However, it also has an A+ crime rating and an A+ employment rating, and some of the best schools in the nation are in Maryland, according to AreaVibes.

Safety: For detailed crime and safety information on Bethesda and surrounding areas, visit CrimeReports.

School ranking: In general, the schools in Bethesda are given a B. For school rankings in specific neighborhoods in and around Bethesda, visit NeighborhoodScout.

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Kid-friendly activities: Obviously, a plethora of beach activities will be your main attraction, from snorkeling to surfing and deep-sea fishing. But also take a visit to the Honolulu Zoo, the Waikiki Aquarium, Teddy Bear World and the Children's Discovery Center.

Affordability: Yes, the cost of living is 46 percent higher than the national average, according to AreaVibes, but hello, you get to live on an island!

Safety: For detailed crime and safety information on Honolulu and surrounding areas, visit CrimeReports.

School ranking: In general, the schools in Honolulu are given a C+. For school rankings in specific neighborhoods in and around Honolulu, visit NeighborhoodScout.

More fun places for kids

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The sudden death of Peaches Geldof at the age of 25 has left her family and friends in mourning, and many are reacting on social media. Though Geldof was young, she obviously made a significant impact on those around her.

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Geldof's last Instagram photo was of her and her mother, who died of a heroin overdose when she was only 11. She herself leaves behind two sons, a 1-year-old and nearly 1-year-old. Although the cause of death has not yet been announced, her loss has already made a mark on those around her.

"Peaches has died. We are beyond pain," her father Bob Geldof said in a statement. "Writing 'was' destroys me afresh. She was the wildest, funniest, cleverest, wittiest and the most bonkers of all of us. What a beautiful child. How is this possible that we will not see her again? How is that bearable? We loved her and will cherish her forever. How sad that sentence is. Tom and her sons Astala and Phaedra will always belong in our family, fractured so often, but never broken."

Other celebs took to Twitter to send their condolences and share their loss.

@lilyallen My thoughts are with Peaches' family at this awful time. I hope they get to grieve in peace. Peaches, rest in peace gorgeous girl

— Lily Allen (@lilyallen) April 7, 2014

Devastated about @peaches_g. Sending condolences & respect to the Geldof family. It's unimaginable what they must be going through right now

— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) April 7, 2014

Geldof was friends with another famous daughter: Daisy Lowe, daughter of Gavin Rossdale. Lowe simply tweeted a broken heart after hearing of the Geldof's death.

Peaches Geldof thinks her house is haunted >>

Other celebs, many who knew Geldof personally, have been tweeting their thoughts.

Very sad to here about the sad loss of Peaches Geldof aged 25 years old such a shame thoughts and love to her whole family xxxxx :(

— Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) April 7, 2014

you were a sparkling, lovely person who showed me such kindness. rest easy, peaches

— Lorde (@lordemusic) April 7, 2014

Even if you think you've got it all figured out, some things still can't be explained or understood. Two beautiful children. RIP Peaches

— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) April 7, 2014

Geldof also leaves behind a husband, Tom Cohen. Their son Astala will turn 2 on April 21, and son Phaedra will turn 1 on April 24.

Growing up, I was the kid who would open my Peeps and then let them sit out for at least a week to get nice and hard. I would usually eat them plain, but occasionally I would get creative with my Peeps-eating. Sometimes I would turn them into a super-sugary s'mores treat, and other times I would add them to my milkshakes. It didn't really matter what flavor of shake I was making — Peeps were always a great addition.

This milkshake relives my childhood, but with a more over-21 twist. I threw in a little toasted marshmallow vodka just to get the party started. Trust me, if you love milkshakes, you're going to love them even more when they include Peeps and vodka.

Boozy Peeps milkshake recipe

Yields 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1/2-1 cup whole milk
• 1 ounce marshmallow vodka
• 5 Peeps
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. In the container of a blender, add the ice cream, 1/2 a cup of milk, the vodka and the Peeps. Blend on high, and add more milk if needed to thin out the mixture.
2. Pour into 2 glasses, and top with whipped cream and sprinkles if desired.

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Ed Sheeran released the first single off his second album, x (pronounced "multiply"), today on BBC's Zane Lowe's radio show. The track is up and already available for download here in the U.S. and we highly recommend you do so. "Sing" has everything a single needs in order to find its way to regular radio rotation, namely an assist from Pharrell Williams (in case you weren't sick of him already).

Also brillz: Ed Sheeran and Lupe Fiasco's "Old School Love" >>

"Sing" is a truly impressive mixture of what Sheeran did so well on his debut album and what many may not realize Sheeran is capable of. To passive listeners, the "A Team" singer is just a ginger-headed Brit with an acoustic guitar. Yawn. Anyone who spent time with Sheeran's debut album, +, however, knows he's so much more. The album slid easily between folksy, depressing acoustic numbers to redemptive raps and drunken meanderings. If "Sing" is any indication, fans should expect no less from x, out June 23.

What's so great about the song? Starting off with a grunt and a few breathy sighs, Sheeran and his acoustic guitar launch into a full-on R&B track. It's so sexy, too — like something you'd sneak a listen to on late-'90s-era radio when they'd do their midnight hour of love. As Sheeran falls in love with a girl on a club's dance floor, dozens of former R&B artists are — no doubt, begrudgingly — admitting the singer has something they always sorely lacked. (Our best guess: the accent and fiery hair.)

That time Ed Sheeran adopted a cat, set up a Twitter account for it >>

The single offers up some great and nostalgic moments. The backing choral "oh" reminds us of a certain New Kids on the Block song that at one time took up our every waking moment. The old-school beats mixed with Sheeran's guitar are also a nice touch of flavor. As always, Sheeran's speed and flow when rapping are impressive, just as he previously demonstrated on "You Need Me, I Don't Need You." And that falsetto? Robin Thicke may have just lost the only thing he had going for himself.

What do you think of "Sing": Is it a win, or does it fall flat?

Want more music news and reviews? We have a newsletter for that >>

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Jamie Lynn Spears is the baby sister of one of the world's most famous women, but that doesn't mean she can't have a little shine of her own every once in a while. On Sunday, April 6, the newly married singer attended the 2014 Academy of Country Music Awards and dazzled on the red carpet with her husband James Watson by her side.

Dressed in an Aztec-like patterned minidress, Spears was all smiles with her husband as she flashed her wedding ring. Even though she released her debut single "How Could I Want More" late last year, the blond beauty didn't have any singing duties for the night and appeared simply as a guest attendee for the ceremony. Talk about an exciting mommy night off.

Shortly into the evening, co-host Blake Shelton hit the stage and actually took a low shot at someone pretty dear to Jamie Lynn: big sister Britney. When his co-host Luke Bryan stressed that everyone at the show was ready for some live music, The Voice judge said: "And if you don't like live music, you can go see Britney Spears down the street." Not exactly the most respectful thing to say when a sibling is in the audience, Blake.

Regardless of the joke, Spears took to Twitter after the show, gushing about her experience, and even showing some love to fellow country songstress Kellie Pickler.

First #ACMs over!! I had an amazing time. What were y’alls favorite performances? - @ACMawards

— Jamie Lynn Spears (@jamielynnspears) April 7, 2014

Just last month, the 22-year-old starlet made headlines when she tied the knot with James Watson in a New Orleans evening ceremony. As expected, it was a private family affair that included her 5-year-old daughter Maddie Briann, mother Lynn, father Jamie and, of course, big sister Britney.

And thank you @KelliePickler for being so sweet and guiding me thru my first #ACMs! - Repost from @acmawards pic.twitter.com/TWrbBJBn7e

— Jamie Lynn Spears (@jamielynnspears) April 7, 2014

Photo credit: IZZY/WENN.com

It's going to be the end of an era. On Monday, Barbara Walters announced the official date of retirement: May 16. She revealed about a year ago that she would leave daily television sometime in 2014.

Her final day on The View will also be marked by a two-hour prime time special honoring her working on ABC. While she will not be on TV every day, the 84-year-old journalist will continue to executive-produce the daytime talk show and appear on ABC News occasionally.

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Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive of The Walt Disney Company said in a statement, "She's a dear friend and colleague as well as someone I deeply admire, and it's impossible to fully convey her impact and influence on television. She broke barriers, defied convention, made history and set the standard for journalistic excellence for more than 50 years. It's hard to imagine television without her."

Her career at the network began in 1976 when she became the first female anchor on an evening news program. She moved on to 20/20 three years later and eventually developed The View in 1997. Their "Hot Topics" panel format is copied by many daytime talk shows to this day.

Her influence on women in broadcast journalism and in the workplace is not lost on anyone that encountered her over the years.

Katy Perry and Barbara Walters kiss and make up >>

Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group shared, "Barbara Walters was one of the first people I met as an ABC page almost 38 years ago. She was fiercely intelligent, impressive and inspiring then, and remains so to this day. I am honored that I've had the rare opportunity to work and learn from her all these years. Her influence on television and American culture will resonate for decades to come."

Photo credit: FayesVision/WENN.com

Channing Tatum will be the first-ever male recipient of the MTV Trailblazer Award and who's going to argue with that pick? The guy dances, he's funny, he's a dramatic actor and he... strips. According to MTV, Tatum is the natural choice for the award because of his proven "ability to play everything from a talented dancer from the wrong side of the tracks, to a hero capable of saving the world from imminent danger."

Channing Tatum isn't always the ladies man he portrays >>

Here are the top five reasons we think Channing Tatum is totally deserving of the Trailblazer title.

1. He's a chick-flick dream. Everyone, I mean everyone, loves Rachel McAdams, but why do you think people were clamoring to see The Vow? And McAdams' Mean Girls co-star, Amanda Seyfried, is no hack herself, but she's certainly not the reason we purchased tickets to Dear John. We watched for Tatum. Have you looked into those blue eyes? It's like the first time you listened to the Beatles.

2. But he's still totally man-crushable. There are few actors on the planet who are able to successfully prance between both chick-flick and man-movie territory. Tatum has proven that he's able to do just that. He was hilarious as Jenko in 2012's 21 Jump Street and he kicked butt in the action blockbuster, White House Down. Girls want to be with him; guys want to be him.

3. Abs, abs, abs. You saw Magic Mike, right? Enough said.

4. He's actually a nice, stand-up guy. Tatum is super protective of his young family. He admitted that he was a crying mess in the delivery room when his wife was giving birth to their first child. "It's like someone's hurting, someone that you love and you can't do anything about it," he said. He refuses to sell photos of his daughter, because he doesn't want to make a profit off his child. And, just recently, he posted a tweet about kindness, quoting the Dalai Lama.

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." - @DalaiLama

— Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) March 16, 2014

5. He doesn't take himself too seriously. Tatum seems like a real person and he is not pretentious in any way. Despite his looks, the man can truly make fun of himself and he knows how to have a good time. Remember his game of "sticky balls" with Jimmy Fallon? And then there's the little gem of a video on the set of 21 Jump Street.

Mila Kunis, who co-stars with Tatum in the upcoming Jupiter Ascending, will present the award to Tatum at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards on April 13.

Video credit: Channing Tatum

The Coast Guard received a distress call on Thursday from their boat Rebel Heart, which had lost power and communication about 900 miles off the coast of Mexico. A toddler on board, Lyra Kaufman, was very ill and not responding to medication. After being picked up by the USS Vandegrift, the Kaufman family is said to be safe and in good spirits — and Lyra is in stable condition.

Some have shown support — especially those with sailing experience. Liz Lipinski, mom of two, jokes, “It sounds like the way I pictured parenting before I had two kids prone to motion sickness." She adds, “I think that when we aren’t familiar with something, it’s really easy to be scared… I wonder if people are so risk-averse they have forgotten how to live.”

The Kaufman family responds to criticism

The parents maintain that this has been their way of life for over 7 years and that they had taken proper precautions, including traveling with a satellite phone. In October 2012, Charlotte Kaufman addressed safety issues about sailing with children on her personal blog, saying that they had done a great deal of research and would never put their family in harm’s way.

The Kaufmans were seasoned sailors, not newbies to the sport. Charlotte Kaufman writes, "It is far, far more dangerous to drive every day on the freeway than it is to sail from San Diego to Mexico or even around the world.” She's correct. It isn’t often we hear about a shipwreck claiming lives — but adults and children are killed in motor vehicle accidents daily and we accept this as part of our way of life.

Personally, I’d like to give the Kaufmans a pat on the back. In a world where kids don’t even know how to cut their own meat because parents are afraid to give them a plastic knife (let alone a real one) teaching young kids about nature by living at sea is refreshing.

More on child safety

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Photo credit: Michael Carpenter/WENN.com

Kirstie Alley has very publicly struggled with her weight for decades, and she is again trying her hand at losing the weight. Alley said she didn’t realize she had gained some weight back until watching her show, Kirstie.

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"I was like, you look OK on the street, but you don't look [OK] on TV, not so much," Alley told Matt Lauer on the Today Show.

Alley announced she will be again joining Jenny Craig as a spokesperson, a role she also held from 2004 to 2007. That time, she lost 75 pounds. She told Lauer she kept the weight off for a few years and then, "I went off the rails a bit."

Alley said the weight gain was due to "man troubles" as well as eating during the holidays.

"I have a goal to lose 30 pounds. Thirty pounds is a lot," Alley told Lauer. "I want to come back every week, so I can just stand here naked and proud in front of the world!"

While Alley is again getting ready to go on the Jenny Craig diet, she knows what she is doing this time and what she needs to do to keep the weight off.

"There's a couple of things you can do that really help: If you write down everything you eat and if you weigh every day, because what happens with me, if I don't weigh every day, then I don't weigh for about a week, and then I get on the scale and I've gained three pounds. And then I don't get on the scale again until six months later because then I'm just afraid to get on the scale," she explained.

Kirstie Alley to Leah Remini: "You are my enemy" >>

Alley is giving herself a timeline of five months to lose the weight, and she offers a warning to those who think overindulging is the only cause of weight gain.

"Listen, men, stop upsetting your women," Alley joked. "You make them fat."

Photo credit: FayesVision/WENN.com

Sara Gilbert was a glowing bride just a week ago and she is beaming with love for her new wife. The Talk co-host was married to musician Linda Perry in March and she finally shared details — and photos — of the wedding on her show. She also opened up about life as a newlywed, revealing it's not quite what she expected.

Sara Gilbert's romantic proposal will make you melt >>

"It definitely feels different," she explained. "It feels more different than you expect. You feel like you're part of this institution and it's official, and, 'Oh, I better not mess this up.' You feel safer in a way and you feel like you've really committed and it's not about, 'Can I deal with this — or not deal with it.' It becomes, 'How will we deal with our relationship together?'"

The 39-year-old and Perry were engaged in April, 2013, and were married on a ranch in Malibu. They decided to break from the traditional wedding and began with a cocktail party that they attended.

"We decided that we wanted to be together and enjoy people's company, because I think people miss that part of their wedding," she said. "We wanted to bring everybody with us down the hill and have this communal feeling."

Dating Johnny Galecki helped Sara Gilbert realize she was gay >>

The reception was filled with music from Perry, a legendary singer and songwriter, as well as some of her closest friends. According to People, the big names in the crowd included Annabella Lwin from Bow Wow Wow, Martha Davis from The Motels, Dale Bozzio from Missing Persons and Terri Nunn from Berlin.

Watch as Gilbert shares photos and memories of her wedding:

Photo credit: PBNJ Productions/Blend Images/Getty Images

It happens to most of us — the minute we see a baby, our language skills fly out of the window and we're reduced to baby talk and babbling. But that's how you should talk to babies, right? A psychology professor from Stanford disagrees.

complex sentences best in research

Everyone loves to talk to babies — especially when they start to respond to facial expressions and voices. But is there a best way to talk to Baby? Researchers have found that maybe baby talk isn’t best for babies after all.

Imagine being a baby, born into a world of sounds that range from the soft voice of a mother to the loud cheering of the sports fans on TV. Their brains are beginning to make sense of these sounds and patterns, which is a critical piece in their language development. This passage by Daniel Swingley of the University of Pennsylvania, in a manuscript on early vocabulary in infants for the National Institutes of Health, gives a nice summary of what’s happening with language in infants.

To make progress in learning their own language, infants must go beyond the broad melodies of speech and break down spoken language into its component parts, like the words that make up sentences and the consonants and vowels that make up words. A remarkable advance of 20th century psychology was the discovery that even before their first birthday, infants make considerable headway in one part of this analysis, the learning of their language's speech sounds.

So babies are not only deciphering the words and phrases we use when we speak to them, but the different sounds of their native language as well. Researchers at Stanford wondered if the quality of the words spoken to babies was as important as the quantity.

Dr. Anne Fernald, a Stanford University psychology professor, was the lead author of this study, the findings of which were presented at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in February 2014. She hoped to better understand the “word gap” that exists between lower-income children and their more affluent peers. By the time children reach school age, more affluent children have heard millions of words more than their lower-income peers, creating a wide gap in academic abilities from the very start of kindergarten.

Fernald’s study team hid sound recorders in the clothing of low-income toddlers in Spanish-speaking households to get a better understanding of the words they heard in a day. What they found was a very large difference in the number of words that were directly spoken to the child, as opposed to sounds coming from the TV or conversations between adults. One child they studied heard only 670 words spoken directly to him in a day and yet another heard more than 12,000. The study results suggest that babies’ brains respond well to rich, varied language with good grammar, which helps them decipher context even if they don’t know all the words. So rather than just saying, “Let’s eat an apple!”, you might say to the baby, “I am cutting this red apple for snack time. Let’s eat apples for a snack!”

“Young children learn language development and expand their intellectual cognition from one-on-one human engagement and affect regulation,” says Fran Walfish, Psy.D., child and family psychotherapist and author of The Self-Aware Parent. “Parents need to engage precise eye contact with their baby and use simple word phrases with a range of tonal and facial affect for the child to take in and process language. Babies are learning language long before they speak words,” she adds.

In the speech-language field, baby talk is more commonly referred to as “infant-directed speech,” meaning language that includes an exaggerated intonation; short phrases and sentences; and frequent repetition. This is seen in other cultures, as well as our own, and helps babies focus on the speaker by grabbing their attention. “Infant-directed speech is not just parents acting cute or dumbing down language, it is an effective way of communicating to infants that makes language more salient and promotes both attention and retention on the part of the child,” shares Carolyn Jaynes, MS CCC-SLP and pediatric speech-language pathologist at La Rabida Children's Hospital in Chicago.

Gordy Rogers, MS CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist in private practice in New York City. “You don't want to ‘dumb down’ your speech for children,” he says. “You want to provide an advanced model for a child to aspire to. However, if you are dealing with a child with a documented language disorder — which I often am — it may make more sense to modify what you say to make sure the message is getting across in simple enough terms to be processable by the child. However, even as you'd do this, you would want to make sure you're pushing the bounds of what the child can process as a model for how the child would produce language himself,” he adds.

Jaynes shares that most parents’ communication styles naturally adapt as their young children grow and change. “Parents tend to intuitively use language that is just a few steps ahead of the language their child produces,” she says. “This ensures that the child understands what they are saying, but that they are providing a model for what comes next. It is OK to use some words that your child does not know, in a supportive context, so that they are exposed to a broader variety of vocabulary,” she adds. The more you talk to them, the richer their vocabulary becomes.

One of the most important things you can do for your baby is to talk to him — and keep talking. “There is never a bad time to talk to your baby,” shares Jaynes. “All of childhood is critical to language development. Babies start learning communication skills as soon as they are born. They learn to listen to the sounds their caregivers make and they learn that the sounds they produce have the power to make their needs met and gain the attention of their caregivers,” she adds. “As children grow, their language learning focuses more on vocabulary, grammar and the nuances of using communication in interactions, but there is never a time during childhood where new language skills are not developing.”

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There is no disputing the fact that Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, but the Olympic athlete insists it was an accident — and today in court he described the fatal series of events in detail.

Often sobbing and becoming nearly hysterical, Pistorius began his testimony by explaining he was on edge that night because his security alarm wasn't working, and he had the windows open while his air conditioner was on the fritz. In addition to the guns he kept in his bedroom, he placed a cricket bat against the bedroom door because he thought the lock was flimsy.

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"It was at this point that I heard a window open in the bathroom, it sounded like the window sliding open. I could hear it hit the frame as though it had hit a point where it couldn't slide any more. That's the moment when everything changed," he told the court in Pretoria. "The first thing that ran through my mind was that I needed to arm myself and protect Reeva and I. I needed to get my gun."

The Blade Runner explained that as he made his way to the bathroom, feeling even more vulnerable without his prosthetic legs, he thought Steenkamp was still in bed.

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"As I entered where the passage is to the bathroom I was overcome with fear and start screaming for the burglars to get out of my house. I shouted for Reeva to get on the floor. I slowly made my way down the passage, constantly aware that these people could come at me at any time. I didn't have my legs on. Just before I got to the wall of where the tiles start in the bathroom I stopped shouting as I was worried the person would know exactly where I was and I could get shot. I heard a toilet door slam, what could only have been the toilet door. I couldn't see inside, but it confirmed for me there was a person or people inside.

"I wasn't sure if someone was going to come out of the toilet and attack me or come up the ladder and point a firearm in the house and start shooting, so I stayed where I was. I heard a noise from the side of the toilet that I perceived to be somebody coming out of the toilet. Before I knew it, I had fired four shots at the door. My ears were ringing, I couldn't hear anything. I kept on shouting for Reeva to phone the police.

"As I peered in [to the bathroom] I could see that the window was open. I was with my back against the wall with my hand against the wall for balance slowly scuffling along the left-hand wall. I wasn't sure if the intruders were in the toilet or on a ladder that they would have used to gain access or if they were round the corner at that point. I still had my firearm in front of me.

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"I retreated back to the point where I got to the corner of the bed and I put my hand out on the bed and I tried to lift myself up whilst talking to Reeva. Nobody responded to me.

"I think it was at that point, my lady, that it first dawned upon me that it could be Reeva that was in the bathroom. I jumped out the other side of the bed and I ran my hand around the curtain to see that she wasn't hiding behind the curtain."

He said he reached for a cricket bat to bash through the toilet door.

"Whilst I leant in over the partition to get in, I saw the key. So I took it and I unlocked the door and flung the door open and I sat over Reeva and I cried. I don't know how long I was there for. She wasn't breathing."

Steenkamp's mother sat stone-faced through much of the testimony, but sank her head into her hands when Pistorius described the shooting.

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Be careful as you snack on your favorite jelly beans. Why? Because your favorite jelly beans tell the whole world a lot about you. Every little candy you pop is a doorway into your soul, revealing to everyone whether you're sassy and adventurous, safe and cautious or somewhere in between.

Don't believe it? Run to the store, treat yourself to a few handfuls (or gallons) of fabulous jelly beans, and then come back. Your choice of jelly beans will reveal everything you need to know in a few sweet bites. Just picture yourself in these situations, pick the answer that best reflects you, and total up the points. Look at the end for the secret to who you are.

A lot of times buffets serve large, oval-shaped, generic-brand jelly beans like your grandmother serves at Easter. They're still great (they're jelly beans, after all), but they're not as good as jelly beans can be.

• 1 point: You go for the green jelly beans. They're nice, safe and good pretty much anytime you eat them.
• 2 points: You get yourself a big scoop of them and figure you will love them no matter what you get. Or at least you can put the ones you don't like on someone else's plate.
• 3 points: Black jelly beans. There's something about their dark mystery you find irresistible.
• 4 points: White jelly beans. You know they're most likely vanilla-coconut-awful flavored, but you remember this one time you had a white jelly bean and it was awesome.

There are two bags of jelly beans left. One is sure to be sour. The other is nothing but sweet.

• 1 point: Sweet jelly beans. Sour beans are scary.
• 2 points: You pick the sweet jelly beans but secretly wish you could have had a few sours.
• 3 points: Sour all the way, but you eat only a few at a time to avoid "the pucker."
• 4 points: Not only do you pick the sour, but you slam the entire bag as quick as you can. Sour face, be damned!

The cosmos of jelly beans is laid out before you. What do you choose?

• 1 point: Orange or lemon. At least that way you can pretend you're getting vitamin C.
• 2 points: Red, because Taylor Swift named an album after it.
• 3 points: Red, because it's the color of danger. Like that red dress (or tux) you wear, that red car you drive and those red lights you ignore. Oh yeah!
• 4 points: The mixture. Because life is like a bag of jelly beans. You never know what you're going to get, and you don't care when you quote movies wrong.

You can either pick one type of jelly bean (assume it's a type you like), or you can choose a bag with, like, 20 kinds. What are you going to do?

• 1 point: One type, because you know what you're getting. It's not exciting, but it's OK. Jelly beans are good.
• 2 points: Mixed variety, but you open up the package and sort them out because some jelly beans are yuck. Like buttered popcorn. Seriously. Who thought that was a good idea?
• 3 points: You pick mixed variety and pop them in your mouth two or three at a time because you want to know what toasted marshmallow-margarita-pomegranate jelly beans taste like. Even if you instantly regret it.
• 4 points: One type. Because you just found jelly beans made from ghost peppers.

You know, the type from Harry Potter? How do you handle this situation?

• 1 point: Every flavor of beans? No, thanks.
• 2 points: Read the instructions very carefully so you can avoid the following flavors: vomit, grass, black pepper and snot.
• 3 points: You eat some beans that you're pretty sure are safe and then try the black pepper one. That way you have your every-flavor-of-bean war story.
• 4 points: Read the instructions very carefully so you can slam the following flavors: vomit, grass, black pepper and snot. Even if you instantly regret it.

You wish for…

• 1 point: A giant jelly bean you can hollow out and turn into a boat. Practical, but not very romantic.
• 2 points: Cinnamon, because you read once that wild animals can be baited by the smell of cinnamon or that bugs can't stand the smell. None of which is likely true, but at least you're giving it a shot.
• 3 points: A big bag of mixed jelly beans, because you don't want to get bored.
• 4 points: A never-ending supply of black jelly beans — the color of the night — because when you're rescued, you want people to wonder why you have a black tongue.

1-8: Bean still in the shell. There's nothing wrong with being a jelly bean fan who likes life easy. When challenge comes, you play it safe and practical. It's cool — the world needs you, and there are jelly beans for you at the end of the buffet. Enjoy.

9-15: Bean doing well. Solid, friendly, direct. You know what you like, and you’ve stepped out of your shell. Mostly. Gourmet beans are your thing, as long as you know the brand and are pretty sure you've had that flavor before. Stay away from the sour end; it can be a bit much.

16-21: Jumping bean aka the adventure bean aka the mystery bean (not to be confused with Mr. Bean). You're a thrill seeker. You like to live dangerously and do things your own way. You have your own taste in jelly beans, and that's awesome. Only the best beans for you.

22 and over: God, save your bean. You've done it. You've proven that your life is one giant adrenaline rush by the jelly bean choices you make. The jelly bean world is your oyster (say, there's an idea… oyster jelly beans…), but you probably stay away from the red, green, yellow and orange beans in favor of black licorice, hot sauce and vomit beans. After all, life is short, and there are a lot of jelly beans out there. YOLO!

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It's another day and another update on Miley Cyrus. Just hours after the last-minute cancellation of her Charlotte stop on her Bangerz tour on Monday, April 7, an excerpt from Miley Cyrus' cover story with Elle magazine surfaced and the pop star isn't holding back on details of the past.

As the featured singer for Elle's Women in Music issue, Cyrus reflects on the time when she was transitioning into a post-Disney singer while still trying to maintaining a relationship with her then-fiancé Liam Hemsworth.

"When I went through a really intense breakup, you know, I was engaged and when I was with him or when I was on Disney, the thing that gave me the most anxiety was not knowing what to do with myself when Disney wasn't there to carry me anymore or if I didn't have him," Cyrus admits, before boldly confessing that she's now free and fine without either of those investments.

However, for many, Miss Cyrus will always be known as Disney Channel's young tween Hannah Montana, and says she's grateful for that initial career jump, where she received "the most intense training."

Much like her pop-star peers, the hit maker is ready to forge a new path for women in the industry and is still baffled about the lack of equality, complaining, "I mean, guy rappers grab their crotch all f***ing day and have h** around them, but no one talks about it."

Cyrus' goal for equality doesn't stop there. As one of the industry's current it girls, she says it's intense to hear that she's a part of a generational change with fans coming to terms with their sexual orientation.

"I have guys and girls that come out, and they're like, 'The only reason I'm able to admit that I'm gay is because you've made me feel like that's OK...' It wasn't always accepted and I feel like I am a big part of that change," she said.

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Scarlett Johansson is at the height of her career: she is getting married and is about to have a baby. But there are some things in her life she can't control — and one of those things is her given Hollywood nickname: ScarJo.

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"I associate that name with, like, pop stars. It sounds tacky," she told Glamour for their May cover. "It's lazy and flippant. And there's something kind of violent about it. There's something insulting about it."

Johansson is nearly 30, and is about to be a mom. She is also planning her wedding to fiancé Romain Dauriac. Having spent her 20s as an A-list actress seems to have gotten to her, and she doesn't seem happy to be labeled as sexy.

"When I made Lost in Translation, I was 17, and now I'm 29. I think I've been in my 'early 20s' for, like, over a decade!" she said, according to People. "That's a normal side effect of being a young actor. You're captured in a certain time of your life, and it's hard for people to move past that."

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Johansson was divorced from her first husband Ryan Reynolds more than three years ago, and it seems she has finally found the love of her life. She is happy to have gone through her past experiences, and said, "I feel I know now more of what I need in a relationship, what I want in a relationship. And I know I have more tools to communicate, not just with my partner, but with myself. That's not necessarily any reflection of who I was married to or what was happening in my marriage, but really where I was in my life."

Johansson is now living in Paris with Dauriac. You can see her now in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

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Not shy to voice her family values in a community that largely favors a more feminist view of relationships, Kirsten Dunst revealed her preference for the traditional.

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar UK magazine, Dunst freely touched on how she feels about relationships between men and women, and said she leans toward a more conventional home life. The actress also said she feels being feminine has been "undervalued" in today's society.

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"We all have to get our own jobs and make our own money," Dunst added. "But staying at home, nurturing, being a mother, cooking — it's a valuable thing my mom created."

The 31-year-old star believes that men should be manly and "sometimes, you need your knight in shining armor," Dunst said.

"I'm sorry. You need a man to be a man and a woman to be a woman," the Midnight Special star added. "That's how relationships work." As expected, Dunst's comments riled some feminist feathers on the internet and many have already come out to lambast her; some have even insulted her intelligence.

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"I'm not going to couch this much because Kirsten Dunst is not paid to write gender theory," Erin Gloria Ryan of Jezebel wrote. "So it shouldn't surprise anyone that she's kind of dumb about it."

Several Twitter users made comments such as, "She should just keep quiet. I wasn't aware Kirsten Dunst could be more unlikable," while another wrote that the Spiderman actress should be added to "the list of famous women who should never be allowed to talk near young girls. Ever."

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Media Research Center's socially conservative Katie Yoder said that "feminists claim to be pro-woman, but they only support 'correct' choices and decisions," while slamming the ones that don't serve their own beliefs.

"Our culture and media teach women that success means running after careers and money," Yoder added. "Instead, a pro-woman society should emphasize a woman's importance and worth, no matter her decision in how to live out her life."

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Peaches Geldof was left feeling "alienated and abandoned" by friends after becoming a mom, she revealed in a new magazine column written shortly before her death.

The daughter of iconic musician Bob Geldof was found dead in her home yesterday, but before she passed she penned her first and last column for a parenting magazine that detailed the roller coaster of emotions she went through in her transformation from tabloid fodder party girl to doting mother of two.

"With fun-loving friends from Los Angeles to London, I was lost in a haze of youth and no responsibilities… But it was becoming boring," she wrote in the piece for Mother and Baby magazine.

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"I wanted an anchor — I craved it. And when I had two wailing, smiling, joyful little blobs of waddling pink flesh, they became my entire existence and saved me from one of pure apathy.

"However, this new earth-mother me came with an unexpected consequence — I found myself friendless. My five closest friends were understanding… but many others revealed themselves to be of the fair-weather variety. Once I couldn't go out… they didn't want to know. The idea that I didn't want a nanny didn't seem to register, nor that doing night-feeds and waking up at 6 a.m. doesn't factor in well with a wine-soaked dinner... And no one seemed to want to ask me about my babies, when I wanted to gush endlessly about them. It hurt me. I felt alienated and abandoned. Had I made a mistake?"

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Geldof wrote that her "doubts were erased" one day when her sons, Astala and Phaedra, began showering her with affection.

"Phaedy gave me a wet kiss and both collapsed giggling into my arms, looking at me with pure love. In that magic moment, all my doubts were erased. Everything else was nothingness and it just… didn't matter. I had the perfect life… It was and is bliss.

"Now, with a newfound group of mummy mates, both locally and online – all the exact same struggles and issues, and who don't question if my child flings food at their hair or care if there's a screaming fit in the middle of the street – I'm happier than ever. I've achieved a sort of perfect balance. Right now life is good. And being a mum is the best part of it."

Geldof's Instagram account is filled with images of her children, showing her obvious pride in her boys.

The writer/model/TV presenter was found dead yesterday of so-far undetermined causes. Police say no suicide note or hard drugs were found at the scene.

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Now that his girlfriend's divorce is settled and his son, Eric, has arrived, Simon Cowell is opening up about his affair with his friend's wife. A new interview with the U.K.'s Mirror reveals a rather introspective Cowell.

He shared his thoughts on the betrayal. "It is not something I am proud of or wanted to happen in terms of hurting anyone. It just happened. You have to deal with it and man up to it."

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Last summer, it was revealed by Us Weekly that the former American Idol judge was expecting a baby with Lauren Silverman, who happened to be married to Cowell's friend Andrew Silverman. The Silvermans have one 7-year-old son together.

The 54-year-old TV personality continued, "You have to accept the responsibility and the criticism. All I can say is, my advice to you is if it happens to you, you just have to deal with it a day at a time and own up to your responsibilities."

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For Cowell, the fresh start gained him a family, which has changed his entire outlook on life.

He said, "Maybe because it puts things in perspective having two people in my life who I am responsible for. There were times last year when I would live in two rooms — y'know, kitchen and bedroom, in your house. It is a weird existence when you live on your own. On the phone all night, blah blah blah. Now the house is full of people. It has become a home rather than a house."

While the music mogul is back on Britain's Got Talent, he does understand that his reputation took a bit of hit because of the choices he made. However, he explained that he doesn't regret it happened.