I think women supporting women is priceless.

I learned a lot from my Mom. My favorite lesson: remember there is no such thing as a certain way to parent and to remember that you are learning along with your child - it's ok to make mistakes.

I've tried to be flexible in my career by doing a little bit of everything and that's worked for me.

I've always been athletic - I ran track in high school - and it kept my blood pressure in check over the years. Once I was diagnosed with hypertension, I stepped up my workouts.

It's funny because ever since 'American Idol,' people look at me without makeup and think I'm 15 years old - they think I'm really young and quiet and shy, and that I've never been in a relationship and have never been in love or anything.

Perhaps my problem in marriage - and it is the problem of many women - was to want both intimacy and independence. It is a difficult line to walk, yet both needs are important to a marriage.

Marriage equality is not a choice. It is a legal right.

Too many people get married and lose themselves. You have to fiercely hold on to who you are, and you need to celebrate that in the other person because that's what made you fall in love in the first place.