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I'm Lydia...and I'm a Hugger

Lydia introduces herself and explains why she was wearing that fake engagement ring.

By Lydia McLaughlin

So wow. OK. This is happening. It is very weird to see yourself on TV. First of all, I don't like the way my voice sounds -- but who does? I'm new to this whole thing so bear with me. The fact you are reading my blog shows you have sort of an emotional investment in who I am, be it good or bad, or at least some curiosity, so I appreciate that.

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I hope this season shows a good balance of who I am. I am a hugger, and you see that when I first come onto the scene and meet Heather. I am Italian. I am friendly. I am warm, and I go in for a hug when I first meet someone. This is totally who I am. Not for everyone, apparently, but I'm cool with that.

Heather's home is breathtaking. It is grand and classy and has a very peaceful vibe to it. It is a perfect fit for the architectural feature for our magazine, Beverly Hills Lifestyle. It is not uncommon for someone to want the coveted cover spot and we get approached all the time from agents, publicists, and managers of people vying for the cover. I am not taken aback by Heather's request at all. As I say on my date with my husband Doug, I don't like being the bearer of bad news and would feel better with him taking it from here...which he does.

When Heather asked if I am Alexis' friend, it is pretty obvious she doesn't think that fondly of Alexis. I had just met Heather and I liked her. I don't want to get into drama with her and Alexis. At the time, Alexis and I were very new friends so I didn't know, at this point, what the history is between them.

When Heather mentions Alexis wearing a fake wedding ring, this is truly the first I have heard of it. I didn't watch the show in the past, so it is an honest reaction. As you see from the teaser next week, the next time I see Alexis, I ask her about it. I am trying to be authentic and not gossipy -- simply going straight to the source to ask her why she would wear a fake ring, and if that is true. I don't really care if someone is wearing a fake ring or not. If for some reason they feel better with a big honking CZ, go for it. I like to rock who I am and I try not to be fake. When Heather compliments my wedding ring, I quickly let her know it is not my "real" wedding ring. My ring was at our jewelers, Peter Marco From Beverly Hills, that day. Peter loaned me a beautiful one until mine was cleaned. I didn't want to take credit for a ring that wasn't mine.

You get a peek into my family and me this week. It’s still weird for me to talk about things like money and wealth. It was one of my initial reservations about even being on the show. Hopefully it doesn't come across like we are flaunting the blessings we have. Having two small kids, Doug and I cherish our date nights and try to go to dinner once a week just the two of us. It's not always a boat trip up to Newport, but Doug is very romantic and always plans something fun and different. We aren't big drinkers but we enjoy having a cocktail at dinner when we can! You will get to meet my mother, Judy, in future episodes. She is a big part of my life and who I am today. When I take a drink of the lemon drop and do my little squeak sound, that is straight off the Judy train. She always does that when her drink is strong...and apparently I do as well.

In regards to the other ladies this week, I will break it down in bullet points for you, to cut to the chase:

Gretchen: When a woman gets the itch for children, I swear there is no stopping it. All of a sudden you see babies and pregnant ladies everywhere you go. If Gretchen has that itch, I think she should run after that dream. I know when I had children my whole world changed and I have grown so much and experienced selfless love. Your heart really does leave your body and walk around in your children which is a beautiful experience. Gretchen has beautiful genes, so I hope that sweet baby gets her blue steel eyes.

Wait, are her and Slade married yet? OK, so that's a different issue for me. I am a little old fashioned and think it is best to be married before starting a family with someone. If you are going to make a commitment to have a baby together, it seems to me you should be able to commit to marriage.

Tamra and Vicki: We get to see the clash of the Titans here. I feel that Tamra wants to be friends with V-Dog and is trying to make that happen. I think Vicki has been hurt, but they both cheers and say "Here's to moving on." It is obvious that these two were like sisters and I hope with time they can put their friendship back together. Time will tell...

Alexis: I think we get to see a more relaxed side of Jim and I like that. "Martha Stewart for a husband" isn't a bad thing. Alexis is rocking her hair, and it seems she has this confidence that makes her even more Be-You-tiful.

Heather: I thought it was very fascinating for the Dubrows to show them going to Temple for Yom Kippur. I think it is important to have traditions with your children and I know I cherish what my parents have passed down to me and it is cool to see what other families do. I feel so bad for Lil Colette having a mini meltdown, but don't all two year olds do this! I love the saying "The days are long, but the years are short." In this moment, I'm sure that day felt so long, but before you know it she will be 16 and dating. It is hard to think of that in the moment, but I think they composed themselves well throughout it.

That's all I've got for ya this week. If it's not enough and you are craving more Lydia, you can follow me on Twitter @OCLydia or LydiaM.com to get to know me even better. 

Xoxo, Lydia

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