The Official Diary of Denise Richards

Promoting my new show!

05/23/2008

Getting ready for my press in NY, promoting my show! I love NY!! First interview was the Today Show....had so much fun promoting it although, some of the interviews were tough. I'm so excited for it to premiere...

Leaving Los Angeles

05/23/2008

5am... my angels were still asleep!

Memorial Diary

05/26/2008

My heart goes out to those who've lost loved ones..my Dad is a vietnam vet...we love and support our troops!! On a lighter note, don't forget my new show, premieres tonight on E!!

Rumors...

05/30/2008

My ex-husband released statements before my interviews to try to discredit me and sabotage my show. I just wanted to promote my show. Instead of keeping the interviews about the show, it turned into the 'Charlie and Denise media circus'...I have never said anything negative about my ex in the press. What I filed to protect my children became public record...I tried to keep this private and not say anything negative...this is now about my image and livelihood...it started with Charlie wanting people to boycott my show...For the record: Charlie agreed to let the girls appear in my show...then changed his mind and used it as leverage to change custody. I have one nanny and a fulltime house keeper, and one assistant...that's it.

We have not settled our finances, I do not have 25 million dollars let alone 40, this is the first I am hearing this amount...I think it's terrible that he would release that considering he always says he wants to protect the children...not safe for people to think that I have that kind of money being a single Mom. There are a lot of weirdo's out there, plus I don't have that kind of money...if I ever do get it, I will make a decision as to whether I will continue to work...right now, I HAVE to work. I have bills like everyone else.

Sperm donation: not true...this is coming from a man who believes 9/11 is a conspiracy and the government was behind the devastation...need I say more?

Extra TV....against my better judgment I sat down to do an interview, that I thought was going to be fair...Charlie's fiancé works for them...I will never do another interview for them.

Thank you to all of my fans and supporters. I'm so grateful you all watched the show!

Adoption

06/03/2008

My pigs were all adopted, I didn't get any of them from a breeder...I just adopted a baby girl piglet here with george...her front legs are deformed and she needed a home..I was asked to take her given my love for potbellied pigs..I couldn't resist her cute face! My girls named her stella....

Ok Magazine

06/04/2008

NOT TRUE

A Time For Heroes

06/08/2008

My family attended “A Time For Heroes" an amazing event for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation...it was a great event and for a very worthwhile cause...I finally got to meet Perez Hilton and his dog Teddy...he was very sweet...and a huge line of people waiting to meet him!

INKED MAGAZINE

06/10/2008

My INKED cover just came out! I love it....I love Kat Von D...she covered my "Charlie" tattoo with a gorgeous fairy...she is so beautiful and talented...I can't wait to see the new season of LA INK...

Vaccinations

06/11/2008

I know there is a lot of controversy around vaccinations...I believe in vaccinating...not all...I do support "Green our Vaccines"....I think it's important for my children's health to have some vaccines.

TV GUIDE COVER

06/17/2008

I am so honored and flattered that I'm on the cover of TV Guide. It was such a fun shoot...the photographer recreated the poster from the movie "Attack of the 50ft Woman"....I loved the concept! I'm so excited the show is doing well and you're watching!!!

Saying Goodbye

06/22/2008

This episode is my favorite..it's very emotional but a beautiful tribute to my mom...we miss her terribly...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IRV!!

06/24/2008

My dad turns 59 today...we had a nice family birthday.. My dad really misses my mom...

Next Episode...

06/25/2008

Tune in sunday for a new episode of my show...it's a very funny episode, I visit my sister and have a boys weekend....

The beach...

06/26/2008

Spent a great day at the beach with the girls...we made sandcastles, had a picnic, and looked for shells...I Love summer!!!

Ultrasound

07/03/2008

Charlotte had an ultrasound...stay tuned to see if we're going to have baby piggies!!

Happy 4th!!!

07/04/2008

Have a very safe and fun holiday, the girls and I will be swimming, having a bbq, and lots of fun in the sun!!

Summer

07/09/2008

I hope everyone is having a fun summer, my favorite time of year...the girls and I are swimming everyday, eating popsicles, playing on our waterslide, going to the beach..the girls started dance camp and gymnastics...we're having a great summer....be safe and stay cool!!!

Moving...

07/15/2008

I'm moving for a couple of reasons. My father just sold his house, we decided for the time being to get something that would be comfortable for our entire family. We never thought my mom wouldn't be here...our lives have been changed forever, especially my Dad's. He lost his soul mate and feels homesick for his life with my mom. I want him to feel like he has a home. I want us to find something together. Until he wants to live elsewhere, my girls and I are blessed to have him here with us...the community I live in hasn't made an official decision whether filming can continue...that's not why I have chosen to move, we're finished with our season...I also am looking at schools, Sami will be going to kindergarten next fall, we want to figure out which school the girls will be going to and be close to that school.

Court...

07/17/2008

Going to court is incredibly difficult. This is a very humiliating situation to be going through in the public eye. I am certainly not going to court for press. I don't want press surrounding my custody; it's embarrassing, sad, and humiliating. This is a very painful and personal thing to go through as a parent. While going to court, I can't think about what people may write, or people judging our situation, or being a celebrity...the one thing I think about are my girls. I am protecting my children. People can say what they want or speculate. Nobody knows truly what goes on behind closed doors. I am a mother protecting my kids. I don't care what anybody says. I care about them...They have and always will be my number one priority. Press about my custody is embarrassing, sad, and humiliating.....I am doing what any parent would do in my shoes...protecting my girls.

Hawaii

07/18/2008

Tune in Sunday night for an all new episode of "Denise Richards: It's Complicated"...my sister and our friends have a girls weekend in Hawaii!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

07/20/2008

Happy birthday mom....she would've been 55 today...first birthday without her. We miss her so much and not a day goes by without thinking about her....

Season Finale...

08/04/2008

Tonight is our season finale...this is one of my favorite episodes...the audience will get to see a lot of behind the scenes, and how difficult the press can be sometimes…thank you for watching and supporting my show...I had a blast shooting it...I learned a lot, learned a lot about myself...it's been a wonderful experience. I can't thank you enough for supporting me and my family.

Charlotte Gave Birth

08/06/2008

The ultrasound said 5...Charlotte had 10 healthy piglets!! They all look like Bob!! They are so cute and all very healthy!

Tabloid story

08/07/2008

My show did not get canceled!! Our season finale aired and the ratings were great...thank you for the support and watching the show!!

Summer fun...

08/29/2008

I'm so sorry I haven't written in my diary for a long time. We've had a busy summer and it flew by! The girls were busy with gymnastics, swim lessons, dance...we went to the beach a lot...we had a fun summer, I can't believe it's almost over…they both start preschool next week. Time flies....have a wonderful weekend...enjoy....xo

Preschool

09/05/2008

Sami and Lola's first day of preschool! I can't believe how fast they're growing...I love this picture of them, the girls are best friends....

Russia

10/22/2008

My best friend Kim and I are in Russia...I'm here as a guest to kick off fashion week in Moscow...I'm so excited, its my first trip here...we're sightseeing, then heading back to the hotel to get my hair and make up done for a press conference and a fashion show...it's gorgeous here!!!

Back Home

10/26/2008

I'm back from Russia...I had an amazing time, I loved it. I was the guest of honor for fashion TV for the opening of fashion week…I was jetlagged when I got back but had a great weekend with my girls...we saw Beverly Hills Chihuahua, they loved it! It was such a great movie...we also went to a pumpkin patch, the girls went on a couple of pony rides and we left with some great pumpkins to decorate....hope you all had a great weekend!

Lies

10/28/2008

Life and Style did a ridiculous story that said I was "buddies" with the paparazzi Jill Ishkanian that shot the photos of heather's arrest and that I set heather up. I am NOT buddies with this woman. I am disgusted that these magazines continue to write blatant lies.

It's Official!

10/29/2008

My show was picked up for a season 2. I'm so excited!! We begin filming in January. This season the show will focus on my career, juggling motherhood, introducing more friends, my sister and my dad will be part of the season as well...I have a lot of exciting things coming up that I would love for the show to film...I can't thank all of you enough for watching it and being so supportive. I will give you updates as I go along!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

10/31/2008

Sami is dressed up as a mermaid and lola is a 50's girl....they had me curl their hair and put lipgloss on them. They look so cute!! Be safe and have a great halloween!

Happy Holidays!

12/18/2008

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season. Best wishes to everyone in the coming year.

Nivea Shoot

01/14/2009

Gotta have coffee!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

01/15/2009

Hi everyone! I had an amazing New Years Eve in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino at Club Prive’. I rang in the New Year with my friend Lance Bass AND, he brought two of my FAVORITE Dancing with the Stars professional dancers; Kym Johnson and Cheryl Burke! I was so excited to meet them!

During the Holiday Season, we moved closer to my daughters’ school, and they are LOVING it! It takes much less time to get them on the monkey bars and they really enjoy being closer to their school friends.

We have already started shooting for Season 2 of It’s Complicated and the title takes on even more meaning this year, trust me. From the New Years in Vegas, a Nivea Photo shoot, to a last minute trip to Sundance, we are already off to a rollicking start.

Can’t wait to outline and list the episodes for you, our Premiere is MEMORIAL DAY 2009! So, stay tuned…XO

Sundance

01/18/2009

Jamie and I were promoting our movie "Finding Bliss" at sundance....we had a blast..I also filmed my reality show while we were there...I went snowboarding for the first time..I LOVED it , I can't wait to go again...

Dancing with the Stars!

02/09/2009

I'm so excited about dancing with the stars!! And thrilled that Maks is my partner, he has his work cut out having me as his partner. I have never danced, I'm excited and nervous to take on this amazing challenge....we start rehearsing this week and I'll give you updates along the way!!!......

Tomorrow night!!!

03/15/2009

Tomorrow night watch "dancing with the stars'!! Maks and I have been working hard on our quickstep...it's a fun, fast dance and we have a great song! I'm really excited. I'm having so much fun doing the show...I love the costumes, which we have input with their amazing designer Randall. I'm taking the girls today to our camera blocking, and taking them up to wardrobe to help with all the rhinestones, they're excited.On Sundays all the girls get sprayed tanned for Monday's show too, which I love...watch tomorrow night and don't forget to vote for Maks and I!!!

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!

04/19/2009

I have finally entered "twitterland"...please follow me at twitter.com/denise_richards! I will have a lot of updates..one being my show will be back june 7th! My season is very exciting, can't wait! Hope u had a great weekend!

Funny or Die!

04/22/2009

Check out my new video:
www.funnyordie.com/videos/75aab08738

CHICAGO!

04/27/2009

i leave for Chicago on wed...I'm filming my show and can't wait for our fans to see where we're from. I'm also hosting a charity event in honor of my mom. For tickets to the event (I'll be there!) please go to www.kidneycancerassociation.org for information. The event is may 1st at Murphy's Bleachers in Chicago and you'll see the cubs game too!

Cubs Game

05/01/2009

Home from Chicago! What a whirlwind..we had a blast and it was great to go back to Downers Grove, we got to go inside our old house and have a tour. I have so many fond memories growing up there, and I really miss the people back there. The Cubs game was awesome! I loved it. even though I'm getting trashed for singing at the 7th inning stretch, I'm not a singer!! Never said I was..I had fun, I was enthusiastic, and they won! that's the whole point of it. our charity event in honor of my mom was very successful and I can't thank all of you enough. I can't wait to bring my daughters back there this summer, they'll love it!

SIRIUS RADIO

06/04/2009

Today's Interview

JIMMY FALLON

06/05/2009

Getting ready for jimmy fallon! Bruce Wayne is doing my hair and make up..

Pediatric Aids Carnival

06/07/2009

My girls are decorating denim at the pediatric aids carnival !!

EPISODE 1!

06/08/2009

Last night did great in the ratings, thank you all for watching..it's great to be back and I'm very excited about this season. I feel that I'm finally back to my old self after 4 years of crap and a lot of challenges. Kim and I going to the club is a bit crazy right? I mean I am 38 yrs old and a mom..but we thought, we're single let’s just go out and have some fun..The guy that came up to me was a bit more aggressive than you even saw, in situations like that sometimes I worry I may come off as too much of a bitch, but he really wouldn't leave me alone and I had to ask our camera guy Andrei to step in. I actually don't mind crowds, what gets difficult is especially in a club environment, where there is a lot of alcohol, men can get very aggressive! and believe it or not, sometimes women..That's why I get nervous in a big drunk environment and that's why when celebs host events like that we need security.

Ray is my personal trainer and my friend of 15 years. We have a great relationship and he's a fantastic trainer (he trained Madonna for 10 years!) He was surprised that I wanted to host an event on new years and you would've thought I should've passed on hosting a New Year's Eve party, but I was actually really excited, what a way to kick off a new year!

I brought my dad and was meeting my best friend Kim and my friend Krista. Richard my longtime hair stylist came as well and his boyfriend Don did my makeup. My dad and my mom loved Vegas, they would go a few times a year. This was the first time that my dad was going since my mom passed away. I was a bit worried that he was going to feel sad on the trip but he actually had a really good time. Yes, Kim was taking care of him at the blackjack table, I want my dad to move forward with his life, at the same time it's hard to imagine him with anyone other than my mom (more on that in episode 3!) but I do want him happy.

When we got to Vegas, our driver was really sweet actually. Although, he was asking me questions about Wild Things which made me uncomfortable in front of my dad, that's why I told him he was asking so many questions (you didn't get to see that part!) We had fabulous suites, Planet Hollywood is an amazing hotel and they took very good care of us, not to mention my security guy Derrick, he was awesome! Krista didn't like my dress, and obviously I had to get a new one. She had a point, although I loved my cute black dress, with a sexy pair of heels and fab jewelry I thought it was perfect. I'm actually glad she said something because I ended up finding the perfect dress (and it was my favorite color!) We had fun getting ready for the big night, that's my favorite part, chatting and having fun while getting dolled up.

I know my daughters are taken care of when they're with Charlie, but I will always worry about them! I really wanted to say hi to them, the very next morning I got to do that before flying out. I miss them so much whenever I'm away from them!

The night turned out fantastic! Lance was a sweetheart! And I met Cheryl Burke and Kym Johnson from Dancing with the Stars! Who would've thought I would be on the show with them 2 months later! Actually they were the ones who kept pushing me to do "Dancing with the Stars" We had a great night! Kim ended up in my room and we talked with Richard and Don and my dad till 3 am! it's nice going away but always nice to come home!

I loved the ending with my girls and I, I have so much fun with them and I just adore them. It's fun to host events and work but at the end of the day, the most fulfilling job I have is being a mom. Thanks again for watching last night, I will do an update after every episode and tune in next Sunday while we go to the Sundance film festival!!!

Staying in Shape

06/11/2009

I get asked a lot of questions about how I stay in shape. To be honest, I was blessed with great genes, my father is the same size he was in high school and my sister is very thin. BUT!! that doesn't keep things firm! I do have to work at that. When my mom passed away I gained 10lbs, which has never happened except when I was pregnant. I didn't feel good, was very sad mourning my mom and wasn't motivated at all. Last summer I started to feel better about her death and needed to pull myself together.

I had a pilates machine that I got after lola was born, so instead of it collecting dust, I hired a pilates instructor, I was committed, I worked out 6 days a week. I started doing walks in my neighborhood to get some cardio in there as well..after 3 months I felt great, actually it took a month to feel good but 3 to get down to where I am used to being. When I did dancing with the stars, I was dancing 4-6 hours a day. My body changed drastically in the 7 weeks that I was rehearsing and the short time that I was on the show. I loved it.. After the show, I really wanted to keep it up, I started taking Louis Van Amstel's cardio ballroom class (he was lisa rinna's partner the season she was on) www.dancingwithlouis.com he is awesome.

Now I know a lot of you don't have the luxury of getting a trainer. I actually go to louis's classes with a friend of mine and they're quite inexpensive. For those of you that are curious about me staying in shape and how to get started on a routine, I would say look in your area for some fun dance classes that you can go to, and if you can't afford a pilates instructor, maybe look into yoga classes or a pilates mat class. I actually like going to classes as well, the environment really motivates me. I find a strength training class (pilates, yoga) and a cardio class (dance, spinning) are the best combination for my body that combined with eating healthy and you'll have a bikini body in no time! Now I don't have to workout 6 days a week to maintain, I can do 3-4 days if I like, but I love how I feel after every workout I try to do more if I can!

Episode 2

06/15/2009

I hope you all enjoyed last night's episode. My trainer Ray and I love to banter back and forth, we have that type of relationship.. I'm grateful for it, I.ve known him a long time ( 15 yrs) , so we know each other very well. I love Park City, Utah! I've been there quite a few times. The people are so kind and it's absolutely beautiful there as well. The Sundance film festival is a lot of fun, My movie was at Slamdance which is part of Sundance. I was so happy to be there. Whenever I have trips like that I always try to take my best friend Kim. If she's available to come on my trips she does and it's always an adventure. At Sundance the gifting suites are insane, everyone is so generous to celebrities. Kim is not a greedy person, although she enjoyed all the fabulous free gifts! How great is Jamie Kennedy?? and his "pickle"? oh my..he had me laughing so hard. He is so funny and we've known each other quite a few years which makes it that much more fun working together. I've always wanted to snowboard, how great to have an amazing opportunity, while promoting my movie in a gorgeous place I get to take a snowboard lesson. I feel so blessed that my career allows unbelievable opportunities. Our instructors were awesome and so patient with us. We really enjoyed hanging out with them and we were glad to run into them at a party. They were really cool. And, the hot tub was very innocent and harmless, it was all in good fun...thanks for watching..next week is a very touching episode. I hope you all tune in!

Famous Hangers

06/17/2009

I did this for myspace "famous hangers" it's a video on celebrity closets..Mine is one of them.. for a peek inside my closet here is the link! (I know it's silly but I'm very girly and what girl doesn't love a good closet!)
myspace celebrity: famous hangers

The Dating-ish Episode

07/12/2009

I have a lot of catching up to do on my episodes! I think I need to talk about the dating episode first. It's very hard to think about my Dad moving on from my mom, I need to be mature about it. I want him happy, he's still young and he is full of life. It would be harder for me to see my dad go through the rest of his life with a broken heart. My dad was married to my mom for 37 years. They got together when my dad got back from Vietnam, he was 21 my mom 17, they were soul mates. My mom was best friends with my dad's sister, that's how they met. They really loved each other and had a great marriage. I saw a different side of my dad when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. My family was dealing with something we had never dealt with before, it was devastating. My dad really took care of my mom and I saw the meaning of "in sickness and in health". I know it's so difficult for my dad to have my mom gone, but I know she would want him to move forward...with that said, he felt maybe he should start dating which he hasn't done in about 40yrs! Some people assumed that I'm setting him up, not the case! That would be a little odd if I did..His dates went well, the speed dating I think he actually liked even though he didn't meet anyone. The woman he brought to dinner he isn't dating anymore although she was lovely, they just didn't click. My sister had a really hard time at our dinner. She almost left which I supported if she was that upset, but she decided to stay and I'm happy she did. Ray was my backup date. He is more than my trainer (we've known each other 15yrs) he is a very dear friend to me. He's a great guy but we're just very close friends and we'll always be there for each other. My dating is...well you saw some of the dates! There was a lot you didn't see that they cut...the date that was nervous he did quite a few shots which I don't have a problem if someone wants to enjoy a cocktail or 2 but 10 is a bit much...there were some there things as well that you didn't get to see..the guy that was looking in the mirror was nice but definitely liked himself more than me, again a lot of the date was cut for time...my friends love to set me up, and in their defense, sometimes people are different in a work environment or with friends than they are on a date or in a relationship. I have a very full life, I'm in a great place after a few challenging years. I have great friends, a close family, I'm working, and my daughters are the light of my life. I would love to get remarried someday. Although I'm not actively trying to find a husband. I don't ever want to go through another divorce again. So I am definitely taking my time. I go on dates now, but my priority is my girls and I don't bring anyone around them, it wouldn't be good for them to see mom with different men. So being a single parent, dating I find a bit challenging..I'm sure some of you relate?? I'm still trying to balance it all.

Funbags Episode

07/14/2009

Personally I think this was one of our funnier episodes. My dad's commercial was hysterical and a lot of people come up to him moving their arm the way he did. When my dad first told me about being approached to do the commercial, I was very supportive. I think it's good to try new things and this was something he could have a lot of fun with. He really enjoyed it, and my dad was funny in it. By the way, I don't know how my show found a clip from "Tammy and the T-rex"!!!! I haven't seen that in a long time! Boy my eyebrows were very thick! A lot of celebrities do videos for Will Farrell's site Funny or Die...it's an edgy comedy site. if you haven't been on it and you have a good sense of humor click on www.funnyordie.com . When I had an opportunity to do a video, I was excited..I definitely wanted to poke fun at myself and not anyone else though..Certain people can get away with that, I don't really think I am one of those people. So I thought it was best to make fun of myself. When I was told it was about 'funbags' I honestly didn't know what they were. Obviously when I read the script, I quickly figured it out. I thought the script was really funny, and brilliant that it was party favor bags. Normally anything having to do with my breasts I would NEVER let my father come along for the shoot. But since I was talking about party favors and there were kids in the video, I thought it was harmless for him to come along. By the way, my favorite part of most shoots is getting ready. I love to catch up with Richard who does my hair, and for that video his boyfriend Don did my make up (they both made me up for Vegas!) it's fun to chat and catch up and they all love seeing my dad. Anyway, the shoot went great, except I didn't have enough cleavage and we didn't have anything to help that (normally the wardrobe department has pads and such in their kit) except for paper towels which Don quickly improvised! Early in Don's career he worked on drag queens so he knew how to make bigger boobs! And it worked!!!! I know it may seem odd to some of you that I'm doing a video about my breasts but I've learned to have a sense of humor and at times not take myself so seriously..The end result I thought was funny, and I have been on Ryan's show many times (he's also the executive producer for my show) when he saw how many hits the video got he wanted me on his show to talk about it. I adore Ryan so of course I went. My dad came and was in the other room, when Ryan heard that he was there he asked my dad to join us on air. The interview turned into trying to find my dad a date..to hear the interview go to ryan.kiisfm.com. I have gotten great feedback from all of you on this season and can't thank you enough for watching the show!

Dancing with the Stars Episode

07/15/2009

I am a huge fan of "Dancing with the stars" and have been asked a few seasons to do the show. I figured I should do it before they stop asking ! I think it's one of the few shows that no matter what age the whole family can enjoy, I definitely watch it with my daughters. I decided to do the show for a few reasons..I think it's important for my daughters to see me try different things. it's ok to be nervous and scared, and I think they should see that I didn't let fear stop me. And believe me, I had a lot of it!! When I signed on and went to ny to do Good Morning America to meet my partner (Yes, we really didn't know who our partner was prior to meeting them) when I was being interviewed I must have said that I was nervous to do the show, when I came back from Ny my daughter Sami (she's 5) saw the interview and asked me if I was nervous to do Dancing with the Stars. I told her yes I was, she asked me why I was doing it if I was nervous. I thought wow, this is something that can be a really good lesson for my girls. So, I told her just because I'm nervous doesn't mean I shouldn't do it, I told her it's ok to be nervous and scared, and that even though I was, I didn't want that to stop me from doing something I wanted to do. I wanted my girls to know that if they are nervous to do something new (ballet, gymnastics, camp) that it's ok to have those feelings. Dancing with the stars was a big commitment and I was definitely up for the challenge, and excited to do something that was completely out of my comfort zone. I started practicing right away and I was juggling alot, rehearsals, the girls, my show, a movie..looking back I don't know how I did it. Not very well since I was eliminated early! but at least I tried! I have never danced before (obviously!) but I'm a really hard worker, I'm flexible and athletic. My daughters were so excited that I was doing it and more excited to see what sparkly costume I wore. They were too young to be in the audience but were able to go when I had to camera block and my fittings, they were thrilled. It's taped live (east coast) so when we finished I would go home and watch the show with them. When I got voted off, my girls were actually glad they got MOM back. I was dancing about 7 weeks by the time I was voted off so they were ready. Although they were hoping I would get that disco ball prize. It was hard to explain when I had to do the finale, we all had to dance. Sami thought I still had a chance to win the prize, that was hard to explain to them how that all worked. I'm glad I did the show, no I didn't win the prize but at the end of the day, I did something I've never done before and it was important to show my daughters, no matter what the outcome is, if you want to do something, you just have to do it and it doesn't matter if you win or lose as long as you try it...my daughters actually taught me something, I asked them if they were disappointed that I didn't bring home the trophy, and they said " no mom, you did your best" That was the best thing that came out of me doing the show, it was all worth it!

Bittersweet

08/04/2009

I've been procrastinating this entry because it's bittersweet, I'm thrilled I had a successful season but can't believe it's over already! I can't thank all of you enough for watching the show and being so supportive, your comments every week meant so much to me. It's been a long road and to have such positive feedback it really is incredible. I really loved our finale, it was wonderful to go back home. I love Illinois so much and am grateful my parents raised us there. It was a great trip back and next time, definitely bringing the kids! Well, my dreadful singing, I had to relive that moment AGAIN! ugh, I got nervous watching. To be honest, I turned the volume down so that I didn't have to hear myself. As bad as it was and as nervous as I was, it raised awareness to a cause that is so dear to me because of my mom, kidney cancer. For those of you who don't know, my mom lost her battle to the disease a year and a half ago, so it was a cause that even I would sing for. I loved the flashback at the end of the show, it wrapped up the season nicely I think. I have an amazing family, my daughters are the light of my life and my friends are true friends who are always there for me. After I wrapped the season, I went to NY to promote the show, and what a difference a year makes! Last year the response was quite different, this season was already starting out positive, it was great. After I promoted the show I took my dad, my girls, and my best friend Kim to Hawaii..we had a blast! so great to get away and relax. Tori and Dean were at the same hotel as well, so it was extra nice for us and the kids. After our trip we flew home to enjoy our summer..Sami starts kindergarten in the fall, so I'm taking advantage of that time, Lola has another year of preschool. We've been going to the beach, having play dates, park, lots of fun stuff, spending time with friends..I've had grown up time with my friends too..what a great summer. Also have had lots of meetings for work as well, I don't like too much time off!! We're still not settled in the house we want to be in. My house that I lived in during season 1 is for sale and I'm renting a house close to the girls school..when we find the right house to buy, we'll be completely settled. My dad is doing great, he's still stays with us a lot, so nice for my daughters (and me!) to have such a great relationship with their grampa...well that's what we've been up to since the show wrapped. Again, the season was strong in the ratings thanks to all of you..Thank you for all your support and for watching the show!...xoxo