Despite being in bride-to-be, uber-health conscious mode over the past holiday season, there was one treat I was willing to make an exception for: My future brother-in-law's girlfriend's raspberry chocolate crumb bars. We look forward to her baking a batch every Christmas Eve, and I'll never forget when my fiance realized why they taste so amazing ... He said something along the lines of, "They're made with butter! A TON of butter! OMG, I love butter!" Haa, don't we all!?

But did you know there are lots of other reasons to love it that have nothing to do with incredible tasting baked goods? Here, 8 brilliant ways to use butter around the house ...

Big fan of dining al fresco, are you? Love rolling out a blanket, sitting on covered earth, and eating little salads and fruit from Tupperware? Of course you do. Because you're a mom. And moms have to love picnics because their kids love picnics.

Take the stress out of the endeavour with this handy dandy checklist. From foods to games to that "it" factor your trips to the park have always lacked, this list will ensure you have everything you need for the perfect springtime picnic.

While sugar is often blamed as the culprit responsible for the obesity epidemic, salt isn't far behind in the war on various food staples. It's true that there's just too darn much of it in restaurant dishes, but it doesn't deserve to be villianized! Especially when there are so many smart ways to use salt that don't even necessarily have to do with cooking!

Here, 8 brilliant, surprising things you can do with the savory seasoning. (Warning: Not to be taken with a grain of salt ...!) 

Despite sharing a house the size of the town I grew up in, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills former cast member Adrienne Maloof felt the need to move out after she and husband Paul Nassif separated. I'm pretty sure they never crossed paths in their enormous place to begin with, but Adrienne, I suppose, needed her space, more space, and rented an 11,000-square-foot mansion in L.A.'s Mulholland Estates community for over $20K a month. A month.

But, all good things must come to an end for Adrienne. She's no longer renting the gigantic pad, but that doesn't mean it's empty. Christina Aguilera just dropped $10 million on the place and is moving in shortly.

Sometimes I feel sorry for old sugar. It's been catching a lot flack these days and it's time we showed this food staple some love. Fact is, sugar is something we can't live without. We need it to survive (in its carbohydrate form) and we need it to have a little fun, too. Like I always say, when life hands you lemons, make lemon and sugar water.

Here are 7 amazing things you can do with the deliciously sweet and useful substance.

Ever been sucked into an Internet rabbit hole of audition tapes? It's a great way to kill 36 hours and possibly lose your job, but hey, it's worth it. Take this video of Ian Somerhalder for example. Here he is auditioning for Lost back in 2005 or 2006, reading for Boone, and man, it's obvious from his first few words that the guy's got talent. Eyebrows, and talent. Can't help but wonder if he's done a tape like this yet for the Fifty Shades of Grey movie ... and if he has, we're going to need to see his reading of Christian ASAP, if not sooner.

Whether you call it Autism Awareness Month or Autism Acceptance Month, April is all about spreading the news about folks on the spectrum. But for some people, just one month isn't enough. They want to honor the people in their lives with autism all year long. What better way to do that then getting inked?

Tattoos and autism have become so intertwined there's even a month-long national fundraiser these days: Ink 4 Autism. It's turned the bastion of big, burly biker dudes into a place where moms and dads are heading in droves to get marked for life in honor of their kids.

Inspired? We're just getting started ...

Like so many of our brave and selfless servicemen and women currently stationed abroad, military pilot Captain Matthew Krivohlavy couldn't make the trip home from Afghanistan for his brother Brandon's wedding in Austin, Texas. That didn't stop him from delivering one killer speech, though.

While flying his fighter jet, Krivohlavy read aloud and held up cards with a sweet and endearing message to his brother and his bride that apparently left everyone in the room "either crying or completely speechless."