LilSugar

Do You Check-in on Your Children During the Night?

LilSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:00:03 -0700

Actress and mama of six Angelina Jolie stars in the thriller, Changeling, a film about a woman whose son is kidnapped. Saying that is her biggest fear, the celeb admits to checking on her children in the night. This is a common practice among many parents. Do you partake?

Source

Honest to Peet: Amanda Peet in SELF Magazine

babysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:00:43 -0800

Not one to shy away from controversy or the honest truth, it's no surprise that mommy Amanda Peet is the cover girl on the December issue of SELF. The sexy mum shows off her postpartum bod and dishes on her role in the vaccinations debate, her typical date night and how she stays in shape. As the star in the flick 2012, she's a busy mom who somehow seems to keep her priorities in line all while maintaining a beaming smile on her face. Here's highlights:

The affectionate mom on how her outlook has changed since having her daughter, Frances, in February 2007:

Generally, I've become much more corny since I've had my baby girl. I think it's important for her to know that you can fail and then recover and that failure is important. It's part of the thing. You cannot escape it. There's no way you can control everything that much. It was also really important to David and I that she have a sense of silliness. We resolved to have a silly child and she is pretty silly!

On body image and having a daughter:

I do feel like it's important for her to have me be as healthy as I can be. So, you know, I don't want her to have horrible eating habits. I don't want her to never exercise. But obviously I'd much rather have her play a sport than have a gym membership before she's 20. I mean there are kids in LA who go to the gym and they have a trainer. I'm like, Play a sport!

View 5 Photos ›

To see how she spends her date nights and her stance on vaccines, read more.

On date nights:

I’m obsessed with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. If she knew how much she was in my household late at night or in the wee hours of the morning, she might be disturbed. David [her husband] and I both have a crush on her.

The child-vaccination controversy spurred her to become an activist:

I got involved because it scared me when I learned how many parents were withholding vaccines from their children. [Peet is the spokeswoman for the Measles Initiative as well as the organization Every Child by Two.] It made me frightened of the possibility that some of these diseases are coming back. This is about the future of our children’s health. It’s about what happens when you become complacent and you’re not vigilant as a community.

To see how the beautiful mom stays in shape, check out what our girl FitSugar has on the subject and see more photos, quotes on Self.com.

Photos courtesy of Mark Abrahams

H1N1: When Should You Take Your Tot to the ER?

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:00:09 -0800

Parents have a tough enough time deciphering symptoms between the flu and a cold, and now there is the added confusion of learning the warning signs of the H1N1 virus. Present day parents have a lot to stress about, but knowing the facts puts most of us at ease. Before you fret over the next time your tot spikes a fever, check out this guide for emergency warning signs of H1N1 in children.

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Meet Moms and Share Your Tales in Our Community Groups!

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:01:48 -0800

You've waited in line for your son's soccer jersey, penciled your daughter's art classes onto the calendar, and shuttled your kids to karate. Now that their Fall activities are in full swing, take a few mom-me moments to do the same for yourself. LilSugar's Community offers a place for you to hang out, vent, brainstorm, and showcase your talents. What fits your fancy? Check out and join some of our hottest groups!

Preggers? Join the Pregnancy Posse!	Share Your Good - and Bad - OMG! Moments	Share Photos of Your Sugar Babies!
Join In on the Fun in The Mommy Club	Dish about Recipes in The Children's Table	Get Decor Tips From Revamping Baby's Room

Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Delilicious: Wholesome Energy Balls for Tots

babysugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:00:16 -0800

This post comes from the group The Children's Table from member GirlC.

Okay I haven't been uploading recipes for some time, sorry. Life got busy. Here's one that J loves.

Wholesome Energy Balls
http://wholesometoddlerfood.com/

Ingredients

1/4 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup rolled oats or Granola*
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tablespoon honey
3 Tablespoons peanut butter

Directions

Mix and roll into balls. *Granola makes these Energy Balls more tasty and adds a nice crunch.

Print recipe with images | without images
There's lots of fun stuff going on in our community - join it, check it out, share your posts or advice in the great groups and maybe we'll feature it here on LilSugar!

Freakonomics Authors Say Car Seats Can Be as Effective as Seat Belts

babysugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:32 -0700

Maybe our parents weren't so wrong after all. At least that's what the authors of SuperFreakonomics would have us believe. Moms and pops take every precaution to protect their wee ones from harm, including installing top of the line car seats with the highest safety ratings. On Good Morning America, dads and writers Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner told Robin Roberts that car seats may not be the key to keeping tots protected. Rather, the two men argue that harness restraints, like a regular old seat belt, will guard children against harm like a car seat or booster. While they don't promote ditching the seats all together, the below video does make one wonder about the modern day approach.

Check out the video and let me know if it sways your safety thinking at all.

Video courtesy of ABC

10 Ways to Encourage Babies to Develop Language Skills

LilSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:00:21 -0700

Was your lil one born with the gift to gab? It may seem that way in the early months when a child babbles away incessantly, even if no one can quite make out what they are saying. Soon after birth babies begin picking up on the words and sounds they hear, and from the early stage, their language development skills are growing. Parents and caregivers can encourage these skills by speaking directly to their children and using words and phrases that babies understand. Check out our 10 tips for aiding the development of language in tots.

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The Difference Between First, Second, and Third Babies

LilSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:06 -0700

The game telephone may have been popular back in grammar school, but grown women get all kinds of information passed to them via email or word of mouth. Some forwards ring more true than others. If you want to share those sentiments or any of your own realizations about motherhood, join The Mommy Club over in our LilSugar community. User Bluesuze posted this one about subsequent kids that is sure to tickle your funny bone!

First baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN
confirms your pregnancy.
Second baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
Third baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing For the Birth:
First baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
Second baby: You don't bother practicing because you remember breathing
didn't do a thing.
Third baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

To see the rest, just read more.

The Layette:
First baby: You prewash newborn's clothes, color coordinate them, and
fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
Second baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard
only the ones with the darkest stains.
Third baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

To see what happens when it comes to worries and swallowing coins, read more.

Worries:
First baby: At the first sign of distress - a whimper, a frown - you pick up
the baby.
Second baby: You pick the baby up when their wails threaten to wake your
firstborn.
Third baby: You teach your 3-year-old how to rewind the mechanical
swing.

Pacifier:
First baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you
can go home and wash and boil it.
Second baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with
some juice from the baby's bottle.
Third baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:
First baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need
it or not.
Second baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
Third baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain
about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
First baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby
Story Hour.
Second baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
Third baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out:
First baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call
home five times.
Second baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a
number where you can be reached.
Third baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees
blood.

At Home:
First baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
Second baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older
child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
Third baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
First child: when first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the
hospital and demand X-rays.
Second child: when second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for
coin to pass.
Third child: when third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his
allowance!!

Source: Flickr User MyAngelG

Mom-Me Time: Get Involved in LilSugar's Community Groups!

LilSugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:00:01 -0700

You've waited in line for your son's soccer jersey, penciled your daughter's art classes onto the calendar, and shuttled your kids to karate. Now that their Fall activities are in full swing, take a few mom-me moments to do the same for yourself. LilSugar's Community offers a place for mothers to hang out, vent, brainstorm, and showcase their talents. What fits your fancy? Check out and join some of our hottest groups!

The Children's Table: Whether you've got kids with pint-sized palates that appreciate culinary cuisine or children that only eat chicken nuggets and french fries, share your recipes, tips and tricks.

The Mommy Club: If you have an offspring, you're eligible for this club where moms can chat about everything from the terrible twos to sleep deprivation to those ah-ha! moments.

Pregnancy Posse: Congratulations - you're expecting! Connect with all the other mamas growing babies in their bellies. Share your experience, ask questions, and dole out advice to the rest of the bumpalicious ladies.

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me?: Tell us your shocking, funny, embarrassing, and insightful tales that you wish you had known becoming a mother!

Sugarbabies: Parents love to dote on their lil darlings. Showcase your beautiful bundle of joy by uploading their fun, fabulous, candid, and adorable pics! And, go ahead - brag a bit!

Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Text and Tunes: Books That Help Children Through Divorce

LilSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:00:26 -0700

It's sad when any family falls apart, but the situation is especially difficult when children are involved. If the kids are young, it can be hard to explain how and why mommy and daddy are choosing to separate and what that will mean for everyone involved. When parents are at a loss for words or too pained by their own emotions, picking up a text that caters to children can help. Check out our roundup of books that touch on topics like having two homes, holidays, custody and moving toward the future.