Some movies make you laugh till your tummy hurts, while some movies inspire you with their message. There are some that make you terrified to sleep alone after watching, or ones that are so graphic and disgusting that they make you puke in your mouth and consequently scar you for life. And then there are  the ones that make you shed a tear (or in my case, bawl my eyes out till they are puffy and swollen).

Those are my favorites. Sound strange? Then tell me you’ve never had one of those days when you just wanted to have a good cry. It’s ok. Everyone needs a little release (followed by a giant brownie) now and then. If you’re having a day like that, check out on of these: my list of the best tear-jerkers of all time. Read More »

I love Oprah. I DVR her show every day, I read her magazine every month and I have even flown out to Chicago to see her.

Obviously, when her new show, The Big Give, kicked off on Sunday night I was sitting in front of my TV to see what my diva friend was up to now.

For those of you who don’t have shrines to Oprah in your bedrooms (not that I do or anything…) the premise of The Big Give is quite simple: each week contestants are given a large sum of money and a picture of someone in need. The contestants must then use the money (and a whole lot of help) to come up with a way to make that person’s dreams come true.

In other words: a total tear jerker.

And while there are many things wrong with the show (the fact that these people are on an Oprah show allows them to enlist the help the corporations and celebrities), it really did infuse me with a desire to give back. There are so many ways to help those in need – both big and small – and Oprah’s new show reminded me that no matter what we are capable of, everyone can and must do something. Read More »