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During the Olympics, one of the biggest controversies besides McKayla Maroney’s “not impressed” smirk and Usain Bolt’s legendary status claim was the first commercial from Ragu’s “Long Day of Childhood” campaign. You know the one – the ad in which an eight-year-old finds solace in a bowl of spaghetti after walking in on his parents performing their own mattress Olympics.

The spot stirred up a bowlful of controversy for Ragu. I for one was highly, highly offended by the ad. Mostly because everyone knows jarred spaghetti sauce isn’t the solution to a problem. Gin and Haagen-Dazs is the recommended dinner for drowning your sorrows.

Futhermore,

There are some places kids just don’t want to be at school:

Summer is a great time for kids and teens to explore their creative side! Laumeier Sculpture Park offers art camps that let kids create all kinds of art while enjoying some of the old-fashioned joys of summer — like hiking and swimming.
 
Because of the unique park setting at Laumeier, campers spend lots of time exploring woodland trails, the outdoor permanent collection of art and the sculpture park's changing exhibits.
 

If you’re anything like me, when the nights are short and the days grow long, sometimes you just want to head to your neighborhood joint for a drink. The one where everybody knows your name and they hook you up with the good stuff.
 
That's why, at least twice a week, I burn off steam at my local QT where I have a multitude of icy-cold, high fructose corn syrup beverages at my disposal. My go-to is a 22-ouncer, packed with caramel color and caffeine, served on the rocks.

As with any vice that gives us pleasure – like street gambling or talking smack about a Kardashian – The Man is attempting to curb our fun through legislation. And this time, they’re on track to put the kibosh on our soda fix. 

In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a 16-ounce limit on any sugar-filled drink, including sodas, sweetened teas, and energy drinks, that contains more than 25 calories per eight ounces and is sold at a restaurant, movie theater or other food service outlet. That means New Yorkers will have little more than one can of soda to sustain them through Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and even crazier, no free refills! 

I’ll probably get hate mail for saying this in a town like ours, but I've never been a big baseball fan. 

In St. Louis, that’s pretty much the equivalent of saying I hate America and apple pie. 

Don’t get me wrong – I have respect for baseball and even greater respect for the St. Louis Cardinals. There are so many elements of the sport I’ve loved since childhood – the history and the tradition and the camaraderie. I love the energy as the fans pour into the stadium and the good-natured ribbing of the Cubs fans who enter our midst. 

But the game itself, ehhhh. 

The stork has been busy around here lately! From my North City friend who delivered a perfect baby daughter (at home, sans drugs, you go, girl!) to a South City couple who welcomed the cutest twins ever (via the beautiful generosity of a surrogate mother), my Facebook feed has been full of baby news.

The timing has me in a reflective mood, because five years ago this month − about a year after my youngest son was born − I realized I had postpartum depression.