WichiTalk

Wichita is among the top 20 best cities in America to have a baby, according to a recent report by Fit Pregnancy magazine. The magazine looked at a number of factors — cost of living, breast-feeding success rates and more.

Check out today’s WichiTalk for seven other real-life reasons why Wichita is a great place to be pregnant or have a baby.

And click on "comments" below to submit your ideas on our baby-friendy factor, serious or silly. Is it the walking paths in public parks? The places to shop for baby clothes? A girlfriend of mine once said she could never be pregnant in a place that didn’t have fast food restaurants (that sold chicken nuggets) or grocery stores (that sold ice cream) that were open 24 hours a day. Good thing Wichita has both.

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

Are CDs your main source of music? Have you sold off your collection? Or have you found another use for them?

A co-worker recently chastised me after seeing the scratched-up condition of many CDs in my collection. They do show their wear after years of rummaging through them on road trips, moving them in and out of various apartments and playing them at parties. Several of them are very meaningful to me. I remember dancing to some, crying to others. But after receiving a new iPod Nano for Christmas, I really should figure out something to do with them all.

Check out today’s WichiTalk cover story for tips and ideas on how to turn your CDs into cash.

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

Today’s WichiTalk is dedicated to brides and all-things wedding. Among our stories is a comparison of wedding spending rationales. Does the big day mean a big credit card debt or a big budget plan?

The average wedding, according to one financial source, is $20,000. That’s nearly equivalent to a 20 percent down payment on a three-bedroom, two-bathroom Wichita home. But on the other hand, weddings are (or can be) a one-time expense and one of the most important days in a woman’s — or man’s — life.

So, which stance do you take? Go all out or stick to a budget? Do you have any advice on how to have a fabulous wedding without breaking the bank?

During our reporting for the Bridal Issue, we found a few ideas:

• Opt for a cash bar instead of providing guests’ alcohol. (More Wichita brides are doing this.)
• Make your own invitations. (Traditional scripty text-only invites aren’t as popular as they once were.)
• Choose a wedding dress that you can wear to other events after the Big Day.

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

I have grand dreams of introducing my younger brother-in-law to his future wife. I just haven’t met her yet. When I do, though, I’ll be ready to launch into matchmaker mode. My younger sisters met their beaus at college, so I didn’t get to have a hand in those relationships.

Have you successfully played matchmaker or been matched? We want to hear your love story. Just click on "comments" below.

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt

In Thursday’s WichiTalk, writer Suzanne Perez Tobias will share several Web sites that offer free downloadable MP3 children’s stories.

It got me thinking about the multitude of podcasts out there in cyberspace. What are some of your favorites?

Mine include podcasts on news (New York Time’s daily front page summary), music, fitness (MSNBC’s "Body Odd"), religion and more (NPR’s "This I Believe").

Posted by Lori O’Toole Buselt