12th, 2011. some of the nice folks who decided to stick around and start their day at rockefeller plaza. hope they're having a good time. i'm al roker on the plaza along with carl quintanilla filling in while matt is on assignment. tamron hall is at the news desk. coming up, another close call. >> yeah. >> it's ti ee's tough to fly. >> scary lately. >> a taxi super jumbo jet clips another plane spinning it 90 degrees and obviously stunning the pilot and people on the jets. another update. also ahead, president obama's younger half sister mia. their mother was a remarkable woman and an unusual woman as well, driven by a sense of service and a love of family. she's writing about her mother in her new children's book. we are also going to ask what it was like growing up with her brother and what she thinks when donald trump and others raise questions about president obama's bit rth in hawaii. >> also coming up, joy's diet s.o.s., how do you get motivated to start and stick with a diet? is there such a thing as a healthy cookie? does what you eat also help prevent alzheimer'sle? we'll get some of the advice on those topics. plus, if you are going to england for the royal wedding and you feel like living like a princess. >> i know i do. >> maybe you will want to check out kate middleton's girlhood home. it's no buckingham palace, but she and her family lived there until she was a teenager. now it's going on the auction block. >> ann is off. tamron hall has the latest headlines at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. another frightening aviation incident this morning as planes collided on the ground at jfk airport. tom costello has the latest. good morning. >> reporter: no idea whose fault this is, but it happened around 8:00 last night at jfk. this giant airbus a-380 flown by air france was taxiing for takeoff to paris when it clipped that smaller delta com air regional jet from boston. the wingspans almost 362 feet and the impact spun the smaller regional jet around. nobody injured. as you can see, dramatic impact. air france was preparing for departure, moving down the taxiway when it hit flight 6282 at the vertical stabilizer. the pilot of the smaller com airplane radioed the tower that he was hit, asked for help from fire and rescue. they arrived. nobody was injured. now the ntsb and faa are investigating. you have to wonder if people aren't feel like they have a little -- yeah, their neck hurts. >> hard to believe. japan has upgraded the severity of their nuclear crisis to the highest level, equal to the chernobyl disaster, but that doesn't mean the crippled facility has begun to leak more radiation. another strong aftershock of at least 6.3 magnitude rocked tokyo this morning. no tsunami warning was issued. the mayor of washington, d.c. was among 41 people arrested monday during a protest against the federal budget deal that prevented a government shutdown. city officials say the deal will likely prevent them from funding abortions for low income women and needle exchange programs to prevent the spread of hiv. washington, d.c. is unique in that congress has control of the budget. a man suspected in last week's southern california synagogue bombing is now in fbi custody. police say they arrested 60-year-old ron hirsch outside cleveland, ohio last night. the blast initially thought to be an industrial accident damaged both the synagogue and the building next door. no one was hurt in the explosion. carl louis is now running -- for office. the track and field legend announced he'll run as a democrat for a new jersey state senate seat now held by a republican. another two days of spectacular eruptions. on sunday mount etna shot lava 1200 feet into the sky. another active day could be around the corner. it is a long way to the bottom for the world champions of cliff diving. competitors flipped and twisted off a 90 foot tall ledge, but the winner orlando ducay of colombia won the day with four death defying twists. five minutes past the hour. now to al with a check of the weather. we'll see if he's doing a double somersault. >> i'm known for the belly bomb. whoa. cannonball! let's show you what's going on as far as the forecast today. we have flood warnings, flood watches parts of west virginia on into ohio. also in new england from melting snow and rain. powerful low pressure system making its way to the midatlantic blinging -- blingibling i ing? bringing a lot of rain and jewelry. one to two inches of rain locally. some areas may pick up three to four inches before it' >> off and on rainshowers into the afternoon. we will start with temperatures in the 60 this morning and g oprah: all new. a laugh-tacular "s.n.l." class reunion starring tina fey. did i notice -- >> a situation? oprah: chevy chase, jane curtain, dana carvey, and tracy oprah: chevy chase, jane curtain, dana carvey, and tracy morgan, ne i guess you want to wish your dentist a happy birthday? >> our son. >> your son? >> yes, my son. >> very nice. >> we rode a train from seattle to be here. >> are you telling me the tooth? >> honest to god -- [ audience groans ] >> i'm sorry. before the joke decays any more -- oh, sorry. they're going to give me a plaque for that one. okay. tamron? ♪ >> okay, al. time now for joy's diet s.o.s. answers to your daily diet dilemmas. joy bauer is here to explain everything from how diet is related to genetic disease to healthy cookies, believe it or not. >> cookies! >> love the thought. lots of great questions. the first is from amanda in connecticut joining us via skype. good morning. >> hi, good morning. >> what's your question for joy? >> i have a family history of dementia and alzheimer's disease that i'm afraid could cause problems for me down the road. are there any ways to lessen my chances of acquiring this through changes in diet and/or exercise? >> definitely. there are three important things you can do. first, maintain an ideal weight. being over weight or specifically having a lot of extra fat in the belly area increases your risk for dementia. the second thing is exercise at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. exercise is going to increase the blood flow to your brain. it's going to help keep it healthy and young. believe it or not it also helps to prevent shrinkage that occurs in the brain in critical parts of the brain responsible for memory as we get older. the third thing is to fuel your body with true brain food. that's going to mean eat omega-3 fish like salmon twice a week at least and every day i want you to go out of your way to have two cups of deep colorful produce. think spinach, kale, berries, cherries, purple grapes. if you like caffeinated coffee and tea, you're in luck. those beverages actually help to protect our memory. >> those are great solutions. thank you very much. great advice for anyone. >> yeah. >> the next question comes from chris on the phone in richmond, virginia. i think you have the favorite question of the day, at least in my mind. >> caller: sounds like it. >> shoot your question at joy. she's ready. >> caller: hello, joy. >> the cookie guy! >> caller: what cookies are best for a healthy diet? >> i share your passion for cookies. the first thing i will tell you is if you have extra time, make them from scratch at home. then you can control the ingredients. you can use whole wheat flour, oats, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, sem sweet dark chocolate chips. but if you want to buy a commercial cookie, there are a few brands that offer up nutrition along with sugar. first, the kashi brand and bare naked. they have a good line of cookies with nutrition qualities. also back to nature granola cookies are made with whole oats. that said, to me, cookies are known as treats versus health food. go for whatever cookies you want and minimize the portion. keep each splurge around 200 calories or less and it's all good. go, cookies! >> sounds good. i love that they have the cookies now with the 100 calorie snack pack. they're so good. >> portion is key when it comes to cookies. we love cookies. >> finally a viewer e-mail from angela in new york. she writes, how do you change your mindset to lose weight? i know how to eat and what to do, but i don't do it. what advice would you give to mentally motivate someone to lose weight? >> this is a really important question. unfortunately, there is no simple answer. this is what i do know from people i have worked with that have had a lot of success. you need to do some serious soul searching and find a significant and enduring source of personal motivation. tamron, that means different things to different people. the bottom line is it needs to come from you. maybe to better control health conditions. maybe to be around for your kids or grandkids. maybe to feel more comfortable in your own skin and boost your energy level. then you have to remind yourself every single day what your reasoning is for losing weight. strengthen that resolve with positive self-talk, inspirational quotes on post-its at home and in the office. i also think the big picture can be overwhelming. break your goal into bite-sized pieces and come up with weekly goals you can check off each week. maybe it's, i'm not going to snack after dinner or i will walk 30 minutes each day. those small goals give you the chance to pat yourself on the back each week which keeps you motivated to reach the full goal. >> you don'tle feel you are failing. lofty goals can be hard to reach. then you feel you have blown it and you go from the bottom up. >> small accomplishments add up. >> thank you very much, joy. still to come today, for sale, a four-bedroom, semi-detached victorian in a quaint village. oh, by the way, did i mention it's the childhood home of the woman who could be queen? kate middleton. up next, president obama's half sister remembers their remarkable mother and the powerful effect she had on shaping their lives. we'll talk to her after this. oh! oh! red! red! red! yes! yes! come on! oh. no! oh... bummer. [children shouting] hoops? yeah. sure. sure. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. works every time. announcer: get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. [ younger brother ] oh, do you want it? yeah. ok, we'll split it. [ female announcer ] made fresh, so light... ...buttery and flaky... this is half. that is not half. guys i have more. [ female announcer ] do you have enough crescents? a loaf of bread, some butter, a packet of hidden valley ranch, and i get what might be the best thing since sliced bread... ranch bread. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. tidy cats premium line of litters now works harder to help neutralize odors in multiple-cat homes. and our improved formula also helps eliminate dust. so it's easier than ever to keep your house smelling just the way you want it. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. president obama once described his mother as very grounded with a certain recklessness. her approach to life no doubt a formative influence. president obama's half sister mya grew up with the man who would be president and remains close to the first family. she's written a children's book dedicated to their mom called "ladder to the moon." good morning. >> good morning. >> it's a beautiful book, a lovely story, gorgeously illustrated. >> thank you. >> your mom is obviously a big influence in this book. how much of her influence forms what you do today? >> i would say a great deal. i mean, she was a teacher at all times, even though she may have been employed in other ways. she spent a lot of time in micro finance, but she was always a teacher. as am i. she emphasized the themes that are present in the book -- namely that we are interconnected, that we therefore need to take care of one another, empathize with one another, find ways to serve and help one another. i think that those themes are very much evidenced in this presidency and in all of my brother's efforts as well. >> hands-on mom. you say she was a great storyteller. if you had to pick one important lesson she would impart to you, what would it be? >> the kindness that's of such value and is often underrated. basic human kindness. she was formidable in some ways. when it came to work she fought rather fearlessly for those about whom she cared. but she was also very tender and very sweet. there was a softness about her. i think that she made everyone feel like it was okay to be complex. >> do you see her influence in the president's policies at this point? >> most assuredly. there is a balance between negotiation and action and in everything that he does to reach out in spite of enormous challenges to keep working with people across the aisle. i think i see her every day. >> in "ladder to the moon", there is a message of hope in there. >> mm-hmm. >> and looking forward and also looking back. when you look back on the president's campaign of hope do you see -- is it still that same message or has it had to change, do you think? >> no, i think that the message is absolutely the same. the president is still hopeful. i certainly am. there are wonderful, powerful things happening in every corner of this country. we have managed to make tremendous progress in so many ways. and i think that hopefulness includes a touch of prague ma timpl, hard work and service. in the book it's really about my daughter and our children everywhere remembering that they are strong and that they can help and beginning to sort of act in finding a language for service, even at a young age. >> you still live in hawaii. >> i do. >> i know that the president maintains close ties to hawaii. >> mm-hmm. >> how difficult is it hearing people like donald trump saying they don't believe the president was born in hawaii, that there is an issue there? what goes through your mind when you hear things like that? >> well, i think the facts are absolutely clear. i think not only do we have newspaper releases showing his birth, the birth certificate has been authenticated by a number of sources, including our republican former governor. so i really think there is no more to it than that. he was born in hawaii. that's a fact. >> you mentioned your daughter and this book is inspired by her. what inspires you today? >> well, myriad things. i think that certainly my work as an educator continues to remind me that we are able to shape our own stories and impact our own communities. the thing that is remarkable about our mother, i think, is she wasn't content to work with just what she was given or handed. she really built her own story, her own life, and used imagination. i love that idea of using imagination in as many ways as possible. >> we obviously haven't seen the end of the story for president obama. obviously he's announced he's running for 2012. you campaigned for him in 2008. i assume you will again. people like oprah haven't said they will endorse him again. if people are on the fence, what do you say to them about 2012? >> i say let's take a careful look at the fact that we have had a really challenging time in recent years and that given that, my brother has been an extraordinary president. i'm so tremendously proud of him. he's going to be an extraordinary president for six more years. >> i know your mother would be very touched and very proud of this beautiful book. >> thank you. >> the book is called "ladder to the moon." thank you so much. >> thank you very much for having me. nice to meet you. coming up, maria menudo is here to share her secrets to health, beauty and organizing your busy life. wow. i'm tired just talking about it. ♪ ♪ hello. 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[ male announcer ] see the stylish new highlander at youtube.com/highlander. coming up, a peek at the childhood home of kate middleton. >> and how to grow a greener lawn. first your local news and weather. it was a tough game out there today. i thought i was going to be it forever, but then it was dig deep time, and i brought it... and i struck like a cobra. that was a good tag. [ male announcer ] kids take play seriously. nourish it. quaker chewy -- the goodness of whole grains, no high fructose corn syrup and 25% less sugar than the leading sweet snacks. i'm gonna use less honey. i'm gonna text less. well, i'm gonna use less bath tissue with charmin!!! [ female announcer ] charmin ultra soft's ultra-cushiony design is soft and more absorbent. so you can use four times less versus the leading value brand. charmin ultra soft. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is at wbal-tv 11 news update. >> rain will be with us off and on up through the rest of the day. the temperatures are going to be dropping into the fifties this afternoon as winds shift to the north and northeast. at still a chance for a few rainshowers tomorrow. thursday i want to tell all of you that have watched the show for the last 15 years that after listening to my heart and my gut, two things that have served me well in the past, i have decided i will leave "today" at the end of may. >> also coming up in this half hour -- [ laughter ] >> she appreciated that. that was katie couric five years ago. look at matt's hair. she still likes to visit us every now and then, especially when she has a new book out. katie will drop by to tell us all about it, maybe share some of her plans about the future tomorrow on "today." >> how do you feel when you look at that video? >> i must have swallowed a blimp. >> no! >> really, it's amazing to see all of the amazing things that katie did. >> absolutely. the things all of you have done and the transformation over the years is spectacular. >> well, thank you. >> very nice. >> coming up, would you like to live like a princess? >> i do every day when i'm with you. >> didn't you have a crown -- >> why are those men loitering on my property? >> kate middleton's childhood home is for sale. she lived in a semidetached brick home until she was 15. we'll give you a look at the former home of the future queen. >> and she lookses glamorous when reporting from the red carpet and she looks amazing now. maria menounos always has time to work out in her christian laboutins. she's here to talk about being organized, fit and beautiful. >> ooh, maria brought the gun show. >> wow. >> yeah. all right. >> okay. >> plus, the cold weather pretty much behind us i.'s time to get your hands dirty in the yard. we have tips on getting a jump start on a lush lawn and a garden to enjoy through the summer months ahe heaahead. >> first al has a check of the weather. >> looking ahead for today we have sunshine in the northeast, but rain will be moving in later today with a risk of strong storms along the midatlantic states. sunny skies gulf coast through texas. tomorrow, more warm weather along the gulf with hot weather in southern texas. more rain and snow in the pacific northwest. rain in new england. >> rainshowers will be with us off and on into the afternoon and tonight. probably just showers are around the city. temperatures will be and that's your latest weather. >> thanks, al. up next, health, beauty and organizing tips from maria menounos after this. keep your photos right at your fingertips. 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[ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with 100% whole grain fiber, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal has what it takes to help keep your kids full so they can stay focused on the days that matter most. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. this is your lucky day. pantene's 2-in-1's are customized, with 5 new versions. find yours and love it or twice your money back. that's the smart beauty guarantee. 2-in-1's from pantene. healthy makes it happen. you know maria menounos from red carpet interviews and as a special correspondent for access hollywood. she has a new book that tells you how to do it all. the every girl's guide to life shares her fitness, health and beauty routines and tells you how to keep a busy life well organized. good to see you. >> thank you. >> congratulations on the book. we were talking about the labor of love. was it always a dream to share these things? >> not always. i think it just became something i knew i had to do. people would stop me at the mall and say, how do you do it, how did you lose the weight? finally after having all the exposure being here at "today" i had so much information and i have a passion for sharing information with women. >> i love it. >> i would be in the airports writing lists for people. i thought, i will put it in a book. everything i know. >> take this knowledge with you. i love it. let's get to the advice in the guide. the first portion is every girl's guide to health. >> yes. >> obviously you take health seriously. tell me what you have here. >> first i talk about hot water in the book. i think it is important. >> why? >> it's detoxifying, destressing, helps digest food and curbs your appetite. you think lose a lot of weight if you stick to hot water all day long. a lot of times you think you're hungry and you're really thirsty. if you drink water all day long -- cold water takes longer to digest. >> how much? >> i always have a mug of hot water with me constantly. it's simple. i have an electric kettle to keep it warm. you feel like it's a treat. i drive slower and i'm calmer. it's changed me in a lot of ways. just hot water, simple. >> and limit the portions, pay attention to what we eat. >> i interviewed a yogi for the "today" show. he talked about ayurvedic medicine and say we all consume way too much food. he said eat only when you are hungry. when you eat, eat simple and clean. when you get a salad don't get a million things. it's hard to digest. >> no longer a healthy option with cheese and everything. >> and it's hard to digest. so he said, have carrots and hummus or blueberries. i keep almond clusters in my purse. i never get to the point where i'm starving. >> what's your trick to staying organized? >> label maker is your b.f.f. >> really? >> if everything has a home in your home you will return things where they belong. the key to happiness is organization. i talk about it in the book. i have never seen an organized person that wasn't successful. it's a good thing to follow. >> interesting. >> i label efg in my home. i have little boxes that say camera equipment. i get home, put the camera where it belongs. my jeans are organized on a she shelf. i label right here skinny jeans, wide leg jeans. i never have to think where they are. i know where they are. in the morning i can get up, get ready fast. >> jewelry? >> i love hanging jewelry bags. they are not the perfect situation, so i have jewelry drawer organizers as well. but i like being able to see everything. i love those. >> now onto your beauty tips. you have great stuff. you love smoky eyes. >> i do. >> why? >> first of all, i used to be a makeup artist. i have had a million jobs in my life. i was a makeup artist for chanel back in the day. so i know a thing or two about makeup. this pallete from benefit is my dummy guide to makeup. >> smoky eyes can be tough. >> i learned on this because there are instructions that come with it. they teach you what to do. i love this because you can use it day to night and intensify it in the evening. my other thing i will never leave. this is like my american express card. i won't leave home without it. i use it on the inner rim of any eye. take a skinny brush, put it on the inner rim and on the above part, too, for a deeper look. when you don't know how to apply eye liner, this is your best friend. you can't make a mistake. >> i'm buying that this weekend. >> my favorite. >> your other tip? >> trimming. my hair dresser taught me this. >> you trim your own ends? >> at one point i had damaged hair. he goes, just trim the dead ends. where the split is, cut it right there, not above or below. i got healthy hair in six months. >> i want to get to the fitness part because you're so fit. you have a great body. this is something we need to talk about. >> you can get a full body workout with this for $40. you can get your triceps. >> what is it called? >> it's just an over the door gym. you can do your inner thighs, outer, butt if you put your foot in here. butt exercises, everything you need. i do it in between things. i'm on the phone. >> come over to the bed. there is a lazy girl's work out. >> i created this watching the vice president yal debate. i was on the road with no workout gear. get in the bed and put blankets on your legs and you can use it for tension. do your legs. >> does it work? >> yes. my trainer approved it. i do sit-ups off the edge of the bed. >> the book is called the every girl's guide to life. maria menounos, thank you so much. >> and we're back with recipes up next. you're compromising me here. how to live the life of a princess in kate middleton's childhood home after this. >> push-ups! [ male announcer ] 100 crisps in every can. ♪ 100 ways to enjoy pringles. ♪ 100 crisps, 100 ways. ♪ everything pops with pringles. ♪ here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. don't suffer waiting for your pills to kick in. add alaway. for fast eye itch relief that works in minutes and lasts up to 12 hours. only alaway comes from bausch & lomb. for fast eye itch relief, add alaway. a loaf of bread, some butter, a packet of hidden valley ranch, and i get what might be the best thing since sliced bread... ranch bread. [ male announcer ] hidden valley ranch. mix it up. girl: mom, can i have a dollar? yeah. it's right-- i think my purse is upstairs on the bed. it's not here. check the dining room. nope. what about your sister's room? not there, either. the upstairs closet? the downstairs closet. there are no more closets. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. with just 17 days to go until the royal wedding, kate middleton's girlhood home is going up for auction. >> and as michelle kosinski found out it's a far cry from a royal upbringing. good morning, michelle. >> reporter: hi, there. anybody, i guess, if you have enough money can live like a princess or kind of. maybe like a princess when she was 5 years old. i think what hits you is how normal kate's life was. it was her parents who propelled the family to success and then sent their kids to the best schools. you have to wonder if kate ever stops to think, is this really me? having grown up in a building they shared with another family and now possibly very soon moving into a palace. ♪ >> reporter: the red door calls you over to the semidetached victorian called west view hugged by flowers. >> does rubbing it bring luck? >> no, no. >> reporter: marriage prospects, anything? >> no. >> reporter: little shoes and backpacks still live here and kids still own the yard. >> like a normal house. >> reporter: yeah, but there in the back, that little shed was key to the middletons' success. >> this was the start of their million dollar party pieces. >> that's right. they weren't pretentious people. they didn't immediately move out. >> reporter: doug singleton remembers their time here. the cozy kitchen, a well loved home. this is beautiful. >> this was kate's bedroom. >> reporter: the master bedroom was all hers. this is where kate would have looked outside, thought about what she was going to be when she grew up perhaps. and way up another steep staircase, kate's room as a baby. now a little girl's pink and extra princess-like paradise where emily and pal adore that kate slept here. does it add magic or something? >> probably, yeah. all my friends really like me now. >> it's rags to riches almost, isn't it? you've got a girl who doesn't pretend to be extraordinary. conducts herself with grace and discretion and suddenly from that she's become a princess. isn't that wonderful? >> reporter: the family still lives around here. they go for walks, say hello to everyone and kate is known for remembering everyone's name and their dogs' names, too. so the four-bedroom house goes up for auction in june. it is expected to bring 500,000 pounds. state agents say that's three times what it was worth hen kate lived here until she was a teenager. back to you. thank you very much. >> coming up next, get a jump start on your garden. what you need to do now to get your yard ready for spring and summer. first, this is "today" on nbc. 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[ male announcer ] new lip perfection. in 44 lip perfecting shades. from easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. this morning in "today's fwar den" prepping now for a lush lawn and a healthy garden later. it's been a tough winter, a stormy spring, but we are hoping the growing season is just right around the corner. here to help us jump start our gardens, lou, good to see you. nice green shirt. >> i'm like a tree, my wife said. brown on the bottom, green on top. >> right, make like a tree and leaf. not before you tell us this. >> yeah. >> a lot of people saw snow last week. >> 80 in chicago last sunday. e everybody was excited. but mother's right. don't put plants in the ground before mother's day. east of the mississippi, north of the mason-dixon line, we are still -- cold weather can come. you can start things inside now. lots of nurseries, hardware stores have plants, but bring them inside. there are things you can do, even starting seeds. >> what's this? >> these are little starter kits. this is peat moss. i poured the water in there and the pellets expand so you can place seeds inside this. with gardening it's all about getting your hands dirty. get your seed inside there and you can transfer the pod into the garden. >> where is the best place to keep these? >> inside, near a window for a lot of sunlight or this line is nice. a container garden from fertile earth. they have kits that give you peat moss cubes in the kit. they give you starter seeds and a template to allow you to place the plants. they have an optional glow light and a water meter which is useful to find out ifou are give stuff enough water. $30 and you can do it anywhere. mother's day, when you decide you want to be outside, you can transfer the stuff out. >> good time to start an herb garden? >> absolutely. imagine. you can take basil, parsley. you love to cook. imagine just pulling that fresh off your own plant. it's terrific. out in the garden you can prep the soil. it's too early to plant but save money by getting bags of peat moss from the home center. black dirt and compost. start to throw bags of that into the existing garden beds. this is actually calcium. i wish it were white, but it's calcium. the idea is it goes into the soil, promotes deep, heavy root growth just like when you drink milk and it promotes plants to grow healthy. >> what about seeding? >> life is too short. >> so am i. >> life is too short to buy cheap seeds or drink cheap wine. >> yes. >> don't buy cheap seeds. scott's has a terrific product called ez seed if you have patches you need to bring the lawn to life. black beauty has the fescue and bluegrass blends. rake the lawn first. >> what about dethatching? >> that's good, too. depending on the size of the lawn you can do it with a rake or rent a machine. with dethatching, the lawn will look worse after dethatching. once you do this, you need to feed it. that's important. scotts again. wonderful products. jonathan green organics which people are really getting into now trying to do this. they have a terrific spreader. this is called the snap bag that goes right inside here and you don't have to touch the fertilizer. or if you have a larger yard -- this is for you. easier than that. >> what do i do? >> nothing. we don't want to spread it around the studio. >> we spread it around the studio every day. >> this will do a large area and give you better control. you just roll it around the yard and this is full of fertilizer there. follow the label directions on this stuff. some of it has chemicals. be smart about it. if you feed it, prep it, you will have the best-looking lawn and garden and you will be eating fresh. >> up next, we have easter fashions and one more song from jesse j. >> first your local news and weather. kathie lee and hoda coming up after the break. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> as we head into the afternoon, expect periods of rain off and on. some could see heavy rain as well. we started out in the 60's this morning. we will drop into the fifties this afternoon. still a chance for a few showers still a chance for a few showers on wednesday. [ lawnmower running ] darn joneses. surprise! [ screams ] darn joneses. ahoy neighbor! hi! darn joneses. hey, are you ready for your fios? oh yeah! darn bronkowskys. [ male announcer ] make your neighbors wish they were you. upgrade to fios, america's most advanced fiber-optic network, for just $99.99 a month for a year. call now and we'll add a special bonus: $100 back. get the ultimate hd experience, plus access to the fastest internet in the u.s., with no term contract required. start saving now. upgrade to fios tv, internet and phone for just $99.99 a month and get $100 back. call 1.866.569.fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities