I’m not a flats kind of girl, but an e-mail spoke to me about “Earthing.”

The makers of Pluggz teased me about how good it feels to walk barefoot on grass or sand — they explained that it’s because we are in direct touch with nature  – Mother Earth.

We absorb energy, electrons that “ground” us — called Earthing. Well that caught my attention, so I visited the website and found  leather and linen ballet flats that have “pluggzproprietary” grounding technology, padded arches and heels with memory foam, moisture wicking, anti-microbial lining and trampoline heels for extra comfort and support. They retail for $129 per pair. I am hoping to get a free pair to try them out for everyone. They have a men’s version — flip flops.

White nails — they’re everywhere –Huffington Post, Harper’s Bazaar and more. This photo is from InStyle. The white nails look pretty good and some folks add little decals, stickers and other adornments. Check it out in the latest edition of InStyle magazine. 

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom of three and step grandmom of one.

The clothing is coming!

The clothing is coming! And a whole lot more.

“Downton Abbey” styles goes retail this year — according to Gareth Neame in an interview with CNBC.

“We’ll be working across an entire range of products coming out this year. From fashion, apparel and homeware and furniture to wallpapers, beauty products and stationery,” Neame, who is also the show’s executive producer, told CNBC.

“Some of these things have been available since 2012 and we publish books and have made a music album, but the more complex products take time,” he said, adding that there would be even more scope for merchandising in the future.

Click on the picture — it takes you to the story from Huffington Post in the UK. Here’s the story from Huffington Post in the United Kingdom. Here’s the story from E!Online. Here’s the story from Vogue.

Will 1920s styles sell nearly 100 years later? That will be the real story.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom of three and step grandmom of one.

It’s National Dentist Day! Here’s one of my favorite kid’s books by Mercer Mayer. If you haven’t met Little Critter, you are missing some fun books.

As a mom of three kids who had braces, lots of bonded front teeth and some nasty cavities, I have advice — get to the dentist every six months no matter what. And start early.

The good news — some moms have great advice for how to get your kids in the habit of brushing. This mom has it all together starting babies young so it’s second nature to them, and make sure they see you brush. Kids love to imitate. Here’s a link to the best guide on care for newborns to tots.

The bad news  – Last year, the Today Show, Huffington Post and the New York Times reported that cavities among kids ages 2 to 5 were the highest in 40 years.The crisis  hit all income levels, and kids that young have to be sedated for dental care.

Sometimes kids, like my son, have trouble with cavities even if they do everything right. And that makes dental hygiene all the more important. A battery operated toothbrush and flossing were our tools of success.  Here’s a link to a lot of videos that teach parents and kids how to clean teeth.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times andHouse to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one.

It was quite a season ending episode on Sunday.

If you haven’t watched, I won’t spoil Season Three for you. It is a true soap and very dramatic. For those of you who did watch, it is rumored that a new love interest will appear in Season Four — you know who I am talking about. Cosmopolitan UK reports Tom Ellis of “Doctor Who” and “Miranda” will be joining the cast. Read more here. Huffington Post has a feature on him also.

While some of the plots are dreadfully sad — as we would say in pure Downton fashion — author Julian Fellowes says a few of the actors did not renew contracts, and that necessitated the storylines.

On the funner side, Huffington Post offers a silly rendition of One Direction’s song “What Makes You Beautiful” — here’s the video. Additional parodies are hitting Sesame Street, Youtube and Saturday Night Live.

Even Forbes suggested some ideas for finances based on Downton’s history tracing financial blunders and successes. Read it here.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one.  

The Wall Street Journal and countless media outlets reported Education Week’s best and worst school systems by state in the United States last month, and the report on Yahoo.com is below:

Top 10

1. Maryland ranked at the top for the fifth straight year
2. Massachusetts
3. New York
   
4. Virginia
5. Arkansas
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. New Jersey
9. West Virginia
10. Kentucky
    

Bottom 10:

1. South Dakota
2. Nevada
3. Idaho
4. Alaska
5. Mississppi
6. Nebraska
7. Montana
8. Arizona
9. Oregon
10. Missouri

But it’s not the only study. Michelle Rhee, has her own report, according to Huffington Post. She is the former Washington, D.C., schools chancellor and chair of StudentsFirst. Click on that link for a map of the U.S. with grades per state. Pennsylvania gets a D.

Frankly, I am way more interested in education reports than in daily national media coverage of Notre Dame All-American linebacker Manti Te’o's creation of a virtual girlfriend debacle and whether or not Beyonce lip synced the national anthem. It’s time we all made education a priority.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one.  

My friends at InStyle magazine are booking some shimmery beauty into their latest issues. Michelle Dockery — Lady Mary Crawley on “Downton Abbey,” rocks the glitz and glam in a photo shoot. The photo at left is from InStyle.

This year promises some sparking style with a big dose of shine — it’s been around for a while, and it’s not going anywhere — so keep those sparkling duds handy.

At Huffington Post, the fashionistas are into shine and much more. They suggest black and white will stay on the runway and peplum is peppering our styles as are ruffles, stripes, exposed lingerie, (not for this girl), big jewelry and lower heels. Lower heels? Again — not on this girl.

Shine on, ladies!

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one. 

I didn’t watch the Golden Globes because I was watching “Downton Abbey,” but I did catch up on the styles this morning. It appears that plunging necklines stole the show for everyone from 66-year-old Oscar nominee Sally Field (for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln) to the kids – Selena Gomez, 20, and ”Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland, 22.

They’re still not flying as we were promised in “The Jetsons,” but future cars and lots of gadgets hit the runway at the Consumer Electronics Show this week. Watch the video here of driverless vehicles. The Huffington Post article also discusses home of the future with networking appliances.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one.

Women are building up muscle and home improvement savvy, says an article in The Huffington Post.

It quotes the

National Association of Realtors

and other data that tells us women are homeowners and heads of households who are not afraid of a little DIY. The National Council for Research on Women agrees and points out the poverty levels among women, and that leads to more facts: Doityourself.com says the main reason women take up home improvement on their own is to save money.

How do you start? Look up tasks on the Internet. You can also ask you local big box store or hardware store, watch a home improvement program, ask a friend or buy or borrow a book.

Painting, hanging pictures and simple repairs are easy ways to start. Remember safety first. Get/borrow the proper tools, equipment — safety glasses (a must no matter what), etc. When I was a mom alone, I did a few DIY things, but I never tackled electricity, plumbing, or anything that required a tall ladder. I installed carpet in my basement and wound up at the ER after slicing into my thumb. Lesson learned. Use better tools and make sure the neighbors are home to watch the kids while you’re at the ER.

Pam Parker is the editor of Lake Erie LifeStyle, Her Times and House to Home at the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa. She is the mom of three, stepmom to three and step-grandmom to one.

Well the Frankenstorm may blow out some of our fun for Halloween, but here are some little-known facts to share:

1. From the St. Louis Dispatch and an article that appeared in House to Home: Retailer Spirit Halloween, the country’s largest seasonal Halloween retailer, says sales of political candidate masks have correctly predicted the winner in the past three elections. Spirit’s mask sales have been right for the last four elections. This year, President Obama masks have been outselling Mitt Romney by a 60 to 40 percent margin. Read the full article here.
2. From Huffington Post — Supposedly if the Washington Redskins win their last home game on Nov. 4, the incumbent party wins. If the Redskins lose, Romney moves in. The Redskins game has accurately picked the winner 17 of the last 18 elections — being wrong only in 2004. Read more fun predictions from Huffington Post here.