(CNN) - Michelle Obama waxed optimistic about the policies instituted by her husband and his political future during a Monday evening campaign stop in Arizona, a state that looks increasingly competitive in the upcoming general election.

The first lady highlighted what she called the achievements in the president's first term, including the start of an economic turnaround, health care reform, equal pay legislation and the killing of Osama bin Laden, while appearing before hundreds of supporters in Tucson.

The Arizona stop is one in a series of campaign stops in likely 2012 western battleground states. Democratic representatives have appeared increasingly optimistic about the president's chances of winning the state that he lost by over eight percentage points in the 2008 election.

Discussing Obama's chances of winning the Grand Canyon State in November at the beginning of her remarks, Michelle Obama said "I know we are going to do it because of people like you."

She also gave a shout out to Ron Barber, the Democrat running in the June 12 special election to fill the 8th District seat left vacant by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, whose mother attended the Obama event on Monday.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - President Obama and the first family saw their income drop by almost $1 million in 2011 as sales from his best-selling books slowed.

The Obama family, in tax returns released Friday by the White House, reported an adjusted gross income of $789,674 for 2011, down from $1,728,096 in the previous year. The family income topped $5.5 million in 2009.

The president earns a salary of $400,000 for his day job. His total earnings are much higher because his books - "Dreams From My Father," and "The Audacity of Hope" continue to attract buyers.

The Obamas reported paying $162,074 in federal taxes. They donated $172,130, or 22% of their income, to 39 different charities.

Obama is donating the proceeds from his latest book, "Of Thee I Sing," to a Fisher House scholarship fund for children of fallen and disabled soldiers. This year, the contribution was $117,130.

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill reported income of $379,035, but gave only $5,540 - or 1.4% - to charity.

Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, noted in a statement that Obama's 2011 effective federal income tax rate is 20.5%, and that the president's own policies would result in higher taxes for the Obama family. FULL POST

Easter came early for some of the military families at the Fisher House at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. And, it was First Lady Michelle Obama who came bearing pastries from the White House. Bo, the first dog dressed in bunny ears accompanied the first lady on her visit.

“It is always one of my favorite things to do, to come to the Fisher House,” said the first lady holding a basket of Easter cookies, “This house is a home away from home for so many of our military families.”

The Fisher House is a refuge for veterans and their families as they receive medical care at Walter Reed. On Wednesday, 19 of those families took part in making arts and crafts, with the first lady on hand to spend some time chatting and signing autographs.

The families are among the 73 that live on the premises at Walter Reed, there are 57 Fisher Houses across the country in total.

Wednesday’s event is a part of Mrs. Obama’s campaign to bring recognition and support to military families. It’s been a year since the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden kicked-off their “Joining Forces” initiative, and next week the two will hit the road on a two-day tour (which will include an appearance on the Colbert report, while in New York City) to celebrate its one year anniversary.

As she departed Mrs. Obama bid everyone adieu until Monday, when they will gather again, amongst many other revelers, for the annual Easter Egg Roll on the White House South Lawn.

The anticipation is building for some 30,000 kids and their parents for this year's 134th annual rite of spring at the White House: The Easter Egg Roll.

Now just one week out and the White House is teasing us with snippets of information.

Monday they released the much anticipated list of costumed characters who will be prancing around the White House lawn.

There are all the usual suspects like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Cat in the Hat.

But they'll be joined by movie characters, Alex the Lion from Madagascar 3 and those Penguins of Madagascar who are described on their website as an "elite strike force with unmatched commando skills." Hmm, the Secret Service might take exception to that!

The First Lady is putting her imprint on the festivities tailoring the activities to promote health and wellness keeping with this year's theme “Let’s Go, Let’s Play, Let’s Move!” Michelle Obama's signature "Let's Move" initiative tackles the problem of childhood obesity. FULL POST

First lady Michelle Obama continues to take Hollywood by storm. She’s appeared with David Letterman, Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres in recent months - and Saturday she made her first-ever live appearance on Nickelodeon’s Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles.

Mrs. Obama presented "The Big Help Award" to country pop singer Taylor Swift for Swift's work helping tornado and flood victims.

“I’m here because I’ve always felt an obligation to give back; to lift up others the way my parents, my teachers and mentors lifted me. And that’s something that our next honoree believes, too,” Obama said at the awards ceremony. “Taylor Swift may be in the news most often for her award-winning songs and multi-platinum records, but every step of the way she has always made it a point to give back.”

Last year, Swift raised nearly $1 million to help victims of devastating tornadoes in the Southeast. Swift opened the final dress rehearsal of her Speak Now tour to a paying audience of 13,000 people, donating all the proceeds to tornado victims.

The first lady won the same award herself two years ago for her work with Let's Move, her initiative designed to combat childhood obesity and encourage healthy habits.

Mrs. Obama has teamed up with Nickelodeon in the past for the network's Worldwide Day of Play, an effort to get kids involved in healthy activities and away from the TV for at least three hours a day. She also appeared on the network's hit show ”iCarly” as part of her Joining Forces initiative to recognize and honor military families. The lead character in iCarly is the daughter of an Air Force colonel serving overseas.

Saturday's Kids' Choice Awards appearance is the first lady's first "in person" appearance on the awards show. She received “The Big Help Award” in 2010 via videotape.

–CNN’s Greg Clary contributed to this report

(CNN) – As the spring commencement season draws near, the White House announced Friday that first lady Michelle Obama will be among the keynote speakers at three universities.

Mrs. Obama will address graduating seniors at the Virginia Tech (May 11), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (May 12), and Oregon State University (June 17).

Mrs. Obama has a particular connection to Oregon State – her brother, Craig Robinson, is the head basketball coach there. Meanwhile, the White House says Virginia Tech was chosen because Mrs. Obama is “inspired by the resilience” of the school’s student body since the shootings there. North Carolina A&T made the list because it is “part of the rich legacy of historically black colleges and universities,” the White House said.

Of course, that Virginia Tech and North Carolina A&T happen to be in presidential battleground states may not have escaped the thoughts of Mrs. Obama’s schedulers.

First Lady Michelle Obama was out in the garden today. She was joined by school kids from across the country for the fourth annual White House Kitchen Garden spring planting.

Helping with the planting this year were kids from New York, Iowa, Pennsylvania and North Carolina as well as White House garden regulars from the D.C. schools Harriet Tubman and Bancroft Elementary.

Mrs. Obama uses the garden to highlight her “Let’s Move” initiative which encourages kids to eat better and exercise more.   “And the garden is a good way to start the conversation, because vegetables and fruits are a big part of a healthy diet” she said.

Vegetables harvested from the garden will be used in the White House kitchen and approximately 1/3 will be donated to “Martha’s Table” a D.C. kitchen that provides meals to the homeless 365 days a year.

Feminist writer Gloria Steinem and the anti war activist group Code Pink are pressing high profile women in the Obama administration, including First Lady Michelle Obama, to oppose military action against Iran.

Code Pink has started a petition drive to influence three women in the Obama administration, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice and the first lady, to “say no” to a war on Iran.

The international community along with the United States has imposed severe economic sanctions on Iran which is suspected to be developing nuclear weapons. Iran maintains it's nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

As the window shrinks for a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear program, the activists are circulating a petition titled "Women say no war on Iran."

The petition reads in part, "We, American women and our allies, join with Iranian, Israeli and Palestinian women to oppose the inflammatory rhetoric of war and the recently publicized plan of the Israeli government to attack Iran."

Pink posters of Steinem, Alice Walker and others are emblazoned with the group’s message: “Iranians. We will never bomb your country. We love you.” The organization hopes to gather 7000 names on the petition to send to the first lady, secretary and ambassador.

Mrs. Obama gave a short preview of tonight's State Dinner to a group of local students this afternoon in the State Dining Room.  Explaining the intricate dance required to serve dinner for 150 guests, the first lady described the kitchen to the audience.

"The White House is a big place, but the kitchen is really teeny. You wouldn't believe it - it's a little bitty kitchen, so they have to really man the engines to make it happen," Mrs. Obama explained.

Michelle Obama will lead the U.S. delegation to the Olympic opening ceremonies in London, according to an administration official.

The announcement will come later today at her event with Mrs. Cameron at American University.

The opening ceremony which includes the parade of athletes is scheduled for July 27, 2012.