Oscar the Grouch had better behave – and keep his political opinions to himself. On Tuesday, to mark the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking children’s program Sesame Street, some very special guests pay a visit, including First Lady Michelle Obama. According to previews circulating the Net, she meets Big Bird – who observes that the two of them are tall. Mrs. Obama also delivers a message that may not entirely sit well with Cookie Monster. Appearing with three kids and the show’s fuzzy, red resident Elmo, she encourages them to plant seeds in the ground, water them and then expect them to sprout tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and carrots. Also dropping by the ‘hood on Tuesday’s anniversary episode: Cameron Diaz, who introduces the word of the day, “habitat.” Elmo helps the actress with the term – and visits a frog habitat – abetted by his goldfish, Daisy. Now if only the first lady and Diaz could give Gonzo advice on his love life …

Some of you may recall that I mentioned that First Lady Obama paid a visit to Sesame Street to film a little PSA with the Sesame gang to teach kids the importance of good eating habits … this time, she will appear on an actual episode. I know many of y’all mentioned how watching clips of old Sesame Street vignettes brought back a bunch of memories when I posted them last week … I think it might be worth DVRing tomorrow’s 40th anniversary ep. It’s carzy to think that the show is turning 40 years old … and is still as young as ever.

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The Obamas have released a new official first family portrait this morning. As you can see at left, Barack and Michelle Obama are seated in the Green Room of the White House, along with their daughters Sasha, age 8, and Malia, age 11. The portrait was taken last month by famed photographer Annie Leibowitz, who has taken a number of Obama family portraits in the past.

Such a beautiful family, such a beautiful portrait. If you would like to have a high-res copy of this photo suitable for framing or what have you, you can download the file HERE at the official White House Flickr photostream. Great photo!!

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This past [May], Michelle Obama stopped by Sesame Street to tape a Public Service Announcement with everyone’s favorite muppet, Elmo. The PSA, part of Sesame Workshop’s Healthy Habits For Life initiative, encourages exercise and nutritious eating habits, and extols the importance of parents as healthy role models. The First Lady explains: “If you want your child to have healthy habits, practice healthy habits, too. Because you’re your child’s best role model.” Sesame Street is certainly making good use of Michelle Obama’s influence; as Elmo himself says: “Well, if Mrs. Obama wants to exercise, Elmo wants to exercise too! Yay exercise!!”

Altho this clip was filmed last Spring, this is the first time I’ve seen it and I thought it’d be cute to pass along. After the jump, check out the vid clip in full to see Michelle and Elmo in action …

She has an “angel” of a boyfriend, Dutch bass player Martyn Lenoble, “who loves me from head to toe.” She has a cozy Malibu beach house that she calls “the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.” And, after a very public battle with breast cancer that has given her a gratifying “feeling of purpose,” Christina Applegate has a new lease on life. “I used to be really shy but I started to come into my own in my late 20s and early 30s,” Applegate, 37, tells PEOPLE in the cover interview for the annual Most Beautiful issue – her first interview since her reconstructive breast surgery last November. “Now I’m not afraid to speak up in a room full of people and be a part of the conversation.” The Samantha Who? star says she’s finding balance and embracing her body after undergoing a double mastectomy in July. “You have to get through the physical transformations then buck up, go to work and try to be the normal, happy Christina for everyone around you,” she says. One source of strength has been Lenoble. “He’s been a friend for about 13 years,” Applegate says. “Our relationship gets stronger and stronger. I’m really lucky.” And, more importantly, he makes the actress feel “beautiful” about her new body. “I’m very grateful to Martyn for coming along at a time that he did because he’s been my rock through all of this,” Applegate says. “He gave me something to really want to live for and something to smile about.”

Considering the life-changing effect that enduring a double mastectomy has on a woman, I am very impressed with Christina’s attitude about her beauty (which is on full display in this issue of People magazine). I, for the life of me, cannot imagine what it must be like to survive a bout with cancer so my hat is off to her in that respect. I suppose congrats are in order for being named by People magazine as one of the 100 Most Beautiful People. But, there are 99 other folks who have been deemed beautiful by People — after the jump, check out a few of those pretty faces …

There is no denying that each one of these people is beautiful but I gotta question the selection choice of some of these photos. The 90210 girls were photographed without make-up (on purpose) but the photo is set in the harsh beach sun which makes each of the young girls look haggard. Also, I think the mag could’ve selected better photos of Robert Pattinson and Michelle Obama. Each one of them is incredibly beautiful and, yet, these photos in my opinion do not showcase their beauty at all. I do love the photo of Kristen Wiig and, of course, Tristan Wilds and Zac Efron both look supercute. I know the People magazine list of the 100 Most Beautiful People is meant to be fun and I think they generally get it right … but what do you think? Who would YOU have selected for the cover of this mag?

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He may be the leader of the free world, but he still has to walk the dog. “We all have to take turns walking the dog,’’ President Obama declared Tuesday, as Bo Obama, the newest – and only four-legged — occupant of the White House, made his much-anticipated Washington debut. Then again, the president had his two young daughters with him. What else could any self-respecting father and new dog owner say? “We’re trying to be responsible dog owners,’’ he later confessed. In this city of jaded journalists, about 100 members of the Fourth Estate turned out to watch the Obamas — President Barack, First Lady Michelle and First Daughters Malia and Sasha – scamper around the South Lawn with Bo and entertain dog-related questions. This we now know as a result: Bo has not yet had any accidents in the presidential mansion. “We’re trying to keep her from having accidents,’’ Mrs. Obama said, mistakenly using the female pronoun even though Bo is a boy. (No offense intended, Bo, but with your curly black hair, white front paws and carefully-groomed tail, you do kind of look like a girl.) Bo, a gift to the Obamas from Senator Edward M. Kennedy Jr., is a Portuguese Water Dog. The president allowed that Porties, as they are called, like to eat tomatoes. “Michelle’s garden is in danger,’’ Mr. Obama declared. Not to worry, Mrs. Obama said – the garden doesn’t have any tomatoes. Here, Sasha Obama, 7, weighed in, changing the subject. “He doesn’t know how to swim!’’ she exclaimed. (Water dog or not, Bo will apparently require swimming lessons.) Bo joins a long line of presidential pooches, the most recent being Barney, President George W. Bush’s dog, who once bit a reporter. (For the record, some say Barney was provoked.) Barney was allowed in the Oval Office. Will Bo have similar privileges? “Of course,’’ Mr. Obama replied. Will he sleep in a bed? “Not in my bed,’’ the president said.

It is really nice to see that we can focus on something this whimsical and happy during a time of some strife. Of course, the acquisition of a new dog isn’t and shouldn’t be front page news but sometimes I think a story like this is a welcome one. Seeing the First Family in a more “normal” light makes us all feel closer to them. I’m sure having Bo come home to live with them is the best news ever for Sasha and Malia Obama. After the jump, check out video of Bo’s introduction to the press yesterday afternoon …

Forget about hunting for Easter eggs. The president’s daughters have a much better treat in store this holiday weekend: a new dog! After months of anticipation, a 6-month-old Portuguese Water Dog named Bo is now calling the White House home. First, the name. According to the Washington Post, which published confirmation of the White House dog news Sunday, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, chose the name because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because Mrs. Obama’s father was nicknamed Diddley, as in Bo Diddley. The dog is a gift from Sen. Ted Kennedy, who owns three dogs of the same breed, known for high spirits and said to be a good fit for kids with allergies (such as Malia). Kennedy had been lobbying the Obamas to get a Portuguese Water Dog (or PWD) for months. The newspaper reports that the Obama girls are delighted – they’ve been waiting anxiously since their dad promised them a dog during his presidential campaign – and that the family, first-time dog owners, are still deciding where Bo will sleep and who will walk and feed him. Under a veil of secrecy, the Post reports, Bo actually made a trip to the White House earlier to meet the family. “The Meeting,” as it was called by staffers, was a success. But the highly-orchestrated canine delivery procedure didn’t go without a few hitches. First, news began to circulate that a Portuguese Water Dog by the name of Charlie had been selected for the First Family after a Web site called firstdogcharlie.com posted the information, and a photo, Saturday. The White House called the photo “bogus” and told news organizations (including PEOPLE) that the First Dog would make its debut Tuesday – although Bo, it is now apparent, was already at the White House over the weekend. Then there are the questions about the dog’s origins that are sure to bedevil the Administration. The Obamas originally discussed rescuing a dog from a shelter. But valuable and highly-bred PWDs rarely show up at shelters. Bo is said to have lived with a family that decided not to keep him, but that won’t likely satisfy animal rescue advocates who wanted the Obamas to take in a stray. To help ease disappointment, according to the Washington Post, the family will make a donation to the District of Columbia Humane Society.

So much drama over such a little guy. While I understand that the new Presidential pooch had to be allergen-free so that the Obama girls (who are allergic) could live with him, all of the hoopla about his pedigree and where he came from is a bit ridiculous. All of the “top secrecy” of his procurement is equally ridic. But, at last, Bo has joined the First Family and now, hopefully, we can move on. Welcome to the White House, Bo!

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You can do anything! That’s the message of the seven decades of female risk takers, rule breakers and style makers here. We celebrate them with the help of some very-2009 young talents.

What a great idea for a magazine photospread! I love how each iconic woman is represented by a younger member of Young Hollywood to portray her. After the jump, check out a bunch of my fave icons who are featured in this new issue of Glamour along with a short explanation of their iconicness …

Alexis Bledel as Rosie the Riveter

In 1984 Madonna told American Bandstand host Dick Clark that her dream was to “rule the world.” Months later she was on her way—her album Like a Virgin skyrocketed to number one on the Billboard charts. She’s been a pop-culture powerhouse ever since, and last year, Sticky & Sweet was the highest-grossing tour by a solo artist ever. “When I was little, every day after school I would come home and put in her The Immaculate Collection disc and karaoke to it around the whole house.”—Lindsay Lohan, 22, of the upcoming film Labor Pains, re-creating Madonna’s 1984 MTV Video Music Awards performance of “Like a Virgin”

I absolutely love these photos! Again, such a great idea for Glamour to feature this tribute to American icons. While I have MAD LOVE for the fictional character of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, I’m not sure I would list her with some of these other amazing and truly iconic women but Emma Stone portrays her in this issue of Glamour mag. Click HERE to see the full collection of tribute photos. Which one is your fave?

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Michelle Obama’s first official portrait as first lady was released by the White House Friday. She appears in a Michael Kors black shift dress and pearls in the photo, taken in the famed home’s “Blue Room” by White House photographer Joyce N. Boghosian. Obama is also featured on the March cover of Vogue. She’s the second first lady — after Hillary Clinton — to appear on the front of the magazine. In the interview with Andre Leon Talley, she opens up about helping Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, adjust to life in Washington, D.C. “I’m going to try to take them to school every morning — as much as I can,” she says. “But there’s also a measure of independence. And obviously there will be times I won’t be able to drop them off at all. I like to be a presence in my kids’ school. I want to know the teacher; I want to know the other parents.”

Wow. She looks stunning. The woman is the epitome of class and style … this is an amazing photo. And those arms, she just looks spectacular. CNN, of all outlets, published a story on how YOU can have strikingly toned arms just like the First Lady:

Those toned arms are becoming a trademark. And a source of inspiration for some women. Rylan Duggan, a personal trainer who runs Go Sleeveless, a blog that instructs women how to tone up flabby arms and “eliminate bat wings,” said that in addition to asking how to get “Madonna arms” or “Kelly Ripa arms,” clients are now asking about getting “Obama arms.” “The Obama effect has been that women of all ages have been inspired to take responsibility for their health and their body,” said Duggan. “As the first lady of the United States, at 44 years old, and with two young children, Mrs. Obama has shown the world that you are never too busy to take care of yourself and look good doing it too,” he said. Exercise advocates are also fans. “She’s a great role model,” said Jessica Matthews, a continuing education coordinator for the American Council on Exercise. “Women shy away from strength training, because they’re afraid of big muscles. She shows nice toned arms and that it’s not going to lead to this myth of a bodybuilder type.” Women don’t have the hormones to develop huge muscles by strength training, unless they’re working out to an extreme or taking steroids, Matthews said. Obama has said she exercises in 90-minute workout three times a week with a personal trainer. The first lady told People magazine that during an average day in the White House, she and the president get up at 5:30 a.m. and usually work out and have breakfast. When Obama emerged with uncovered arms on Tuesday, some grumbled about her showing too much skin on an occasion where other women were wearing long sleeves or suits. Boston Herald columnist Lauren Beckham Falcone wrote to Obama, “It’s February. Going sleeveless in subzero temperature is just showing off. All due respect.” But others were amazed, like 25-year-old Jessie Rosen. After seeing Obama at the speech Tuesday, she went to the Adidas store in New York and bought two five-pound dumbbells. “It was her arms being so toned in spite of her life,” she said. “This woman is redecorating White House, trying to raise two children and backseat driving the nation,” Rosen said. “She seems to have time to keep her arms toned, so why can’t I?” It’s only the second day of Rosen’s new dumbbell routine. She does 15 minutes with four to five different exercises in front of her television, before going to bed. She hopes the arm exercises will get her ready for beach season and upcoming weddings. But personal trainers say arm exercises alone are not enough to get toned arms. First, a person has to get rid of body fat from the body, meaning “you can’t spot reduce and just eliminate fat from the arms,” Duggan said. Also, an exercise program has to target all major muscles of the body. Personal trainer Matthews recommends moderate intensity cardio for 30 minutes, five times a week or vigorous intensity cardio for 20 minutes, three times a week. Both cardio exercises and strength training are needed to speed up metabolism and burn body fat. “Even if the goal is just the upper body, you want to train all major muscles,” said Matthews. “If you fail to strengthen the entire body, it limits lean mass. When we strength train, we are building lean body mass and decreasing body fat.” Strength training increases muscle mass and revs up the body to burn fat at a higher rate, allowing for the lean muscle definition to show. Matthews recommends strength training twice a week, on nonconsecutive days to allow muscles to repair themselves. “Women are just really terrified of weights,” she said. “They’re on cardio machines, elliptical for 60 minutes and wondering why they don’t see definition and tone. The missing link is strength training.” The arm exercises sculpt the muscle underneath, which should protrude as the fat fades. It’s unclear what kind of exercises Obama does to maintain her buff arms, but it appears to be both back and arm workouts, said Michele Vourliotis, author of “Amazing Arms: Get Toned Triceps, Beautiful Biceps, and Sexy Shoulders in Just Minutes a Day.” “She may be working out on machine, dumbbells, bands or using her body weight,” Vourliotis said. Pick the option that seems most suitable to you, she advised.

Whew! That sounds like a lot of hard work … but sometimes that’s what it takes to get in the shape you want to be in. The CNN article goes on HERE and offers general advice for a beginner interested in starting a work-out routine to try and tone up their arms. Getting back to the First Lady, I’m not at all surprised that she is getting some flack from folks for her style choices … in her high profile position, it’s to be expected. I, for one, applaud her physical fitness and love seeing her proudly looking her stylish best. While I look forward to the day (hopefully soon) when the discourse on our First Lady can turn to her professional achievements, I don’t really mind that some focus centers on her classy style. I just love her. I’m really glad that the White House and First Lady Obama saw fit to release this image as her first official photo.

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Michelle Obama is in Vogue. Literally. As President Obama deals with crises on various fronts, the first lady follows tradition and steps into the March issue of Vogue, on stands in New York and Los Angeles Feb. 17. The magazine has photographed nearly every new first lady since Lou Hoover in 1929. Bess Truman is the only first lady since that has not appeared in Vogue, and Jackie Kennedy opted for a drawing by René Bouche. Only Hillary Clinton and Obama have made the cover. Wearing a magenta silk dress by inaugural gown designer Jason Wu on the cover, Michelle Obama’s image is captured by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, who also shot inside photographs for the article by Andre Leon Talley, who discloses that he is a “passionate supporter” and “volunteered in the campaign trenches.” And while other friends and supporters emphasize Obama’s priorities as far as daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, and her desire to make the White House more inclusive, the first lady talks about those ideals when it comes to fashion. “First and foremost, I wear what I love,” she says. “That’s what women have to focus on: what makes them happy and what makes them feel comfortable and beautiful. If I can have any impact, I want women to feel good about themselves and have fun with fashion.” Vogue notes that Obama’s “lithe frame — an uncommon figure for an American First Lady” and her leanings toward new names in American design, such as Wu and Isabel Toledo, who created the lemongrass ensemble she wore at the swearing-in, have prompted some to dub her the “new Jackie Kennedy.” Vogue insists that Obama’s style is more “pragmatism, not glamour.” When she wore the black cardigan over the Narciso Rodriguez dress during the president’s Nov. 4 acceptance speech in Chicago’s Grant Park, she received some harsh criticism. “I’m not going to pretend that I don’t care about it,” she says. “But I also have to be very practical. In the end, someone will always not like what you wear. … I was cold; I needed that sweater!”

OMG, I love her. She deffo has the right kind of style and altho some of her outfits have drawn criticism, I think that she generally gets it right. While I contend that a woman as intelligent and as accomplished as Michelle Obama should FIRST be lauded for her talents, I absolutely understand why so many people are to taken with her sense of style as well. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a faboo First Lady in the White House like Michelle :) After the jump, check out a couple other photos of Michelle Obama from this new issue of Vogue magazine …

The black outfit was designed by her fave designer Narciso Rodriguez (natch) and the salmon colored outfit is from J. Crew. She looks amazing in both … which really goes to show that style knows no cost. If you got it, you got it … and Michelle Obama has deffo got it. I hope we get to see her on the cover of more magazines … we shouldn’t let President Obama enjoy all the limelight.

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The First Lady is already getting her first statue: Madame Tussauds Washington, D.C., will unveil a wax figure of Michelle Obama in March. In this photo (released Wednesday), Madame Tussauds senior sculptor Colin Jackson touches up the clay mold of her figure’s head. When complete, Michelle’s figure will join her husband Barack Obama’s wax figure, which was unveiled in February 2008, in a replica of the Oval Office. Obama is the third First Lady to be immortalized in wax by Madame Tussauds Washington D.C., joining Jacqueline Kennedy and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Even tho the statue is in the very early stages, the likeness is really pretty remarkable. Not all of the wax statues that the Madame Tussaud’s sculptors create are perfect likenesses of real people they represent … but sometimes, like in this case with First Lady Obama, they get it pretty perfect. I had no idea that the museum had only previous created likenesses of former First Ladies Jackie O. and Hillary Clinton (I assumed that all First Ladies were immortalized along with their president hubbys) … I guess it’s quite an honor to have a wax effigy created in your honor. Michelle Obama is such an amazing woman, I love that she’s being honored in this way (if, in fact, a wax statue of one’s self is an honor). So far, it looks pretty good … I can’t wait to see the final product — and what outfit from J. Crew it’ll be wearing.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]