LilSugar

Jennie Garth Gives LilSugar the Exclusive Scoop - Part Two

babysugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:00:52 -0800

In case you missed it, Jennie Garth took some time out of her schedule to chat with LilSugar about her life as a mommy of three. She answered our four lil questions and then some. Not surprising, she shot straight from the hip and revealed that she is a down-to-earth kind of lady who is keeping a good head on her shoulders while teaching her daughters to do the same. Here are some of the questions the cute mom answered for us:

In light of all of the reality TV shows following families and your stint on Dancing With the Stars, would you ever want your children to be in the spotlight on a TV show or actors on their own show?

I hope not. I would never discourage them from what they want to do but hope that they aim a little higher. Being an actor is not a bad profession by any means but the easy way out, it seems right now, is to do a reality show so I'm hoping Luca - she wants to be an actress I think but she doesn't want to tell me - that they study and learn a craft and become really, really good at it.

Which one of your characteristics do you wish your children would inherit from you?

I can do anything. I can change the oil in the car. Honestly, if it put my mind to it, I can do anything and I hope that they have that. I don't want them to just call the repair man. I want them to try to fix something first. I hope they get a hands on, get it done, I can do anything mentality.

Have you let your kids watch your old 90210 days or the renewed show?

No, no, no. Absolutely not.

Have they seen any of your work?

They've seen a couple of things. They've seen some of my work. They watched What I Like About You sometimes, but even that one was a little too risque at times. But, they come along to a lot of the charitable things I do.

To see what the hot mama has to say about being pregnant again and how she and Peter bring the sexy back, just read more.

Speaking of, how did you get involved with Smiles Across America (SAA)?

As a mother, I sort of saw an opportunity. There's inadequate dental heath care and children are not being taught by their parents to take care of their teeth. SAA goes into schools and teaches kids how to take care of their teeth and they provide them with services.

Who is your role model in motherhood?

I really rely on my girlfriends a lot. We do it together - bounce ideas off of each other. They pick me up when I'm at my lowest point and feel like a terrible mom. We talk about stuff and it helps me to continue on. I just sometimes need a pep talk.

Were you a lover of pregnancy or were you dying to get it over with?

I loved it! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Will you do it again?

I hope so! I don't know. It depends on my husband being in town.

How do you and Peter bring the sexy back to your marriage with three kids and both of you working?

We do a lot of texting and a lot of flirting by texting and making each other laugh a lot. A good sense of humor keeps each other laughing.

How has the whole Twilight craze affected your family life? Are the girls into it? Do they have crushes on Rob?

They're younger. They don't really care that much. Plus, we really instill in them that they're not goo goo crazy over actors. We try to keep them in a realistic mode. They're a little young... but I'm crazy coo coo for vampires! But, what I do and what I teach my kids to do are two different things.

Amen to that!

Jennie Garth Gives LilSugar the Scoop on Her Parenting Style

babysugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:45 -0800

Before there was Summer on the The OC or Blair on Gossip Girl, there was Kelly Taylor of 90210. For many modern mamas, Kelly Taylor was the girl next door. High school girls related to her and tried to emulate her every move. And much like the actress who played her, Jennie Garth is the envy of many a mother. The bubbly blond recaptured America's hearts on Dancing With the Stars and is reprising her role on the old teen fave, 90210. As a counselor on the show, it is fitting that the famous mum has words of wisdom for other mommies. The adorable mama took the time to answer our four lil questions:

1. Why didn't anybody tell me ... about motherhood?

Why didn't anybody tell me it would be so hard? That it would be the hardest job ever.

2. You know you're a mother when ...

When you have a little bit of throw up on you and it's okay and you just keep on going.

3. What's the best trick your mama taught you?

It doesn't matter if the dishes are clean. It just matters that my kids are happy.

4. Free-range mom or helicopter mom?

Free-range mom. I let them run free.

Come back tomorrow to see what the celebmama has to say about wanting more babies and how she and Twilight star Peter Facinelli keep bringing the sexy back to their home life and much, much more!

Exclusive Interview: Angie Harmon Talks Postpartum Depression and Halloween

LilSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:00:12 -0700

The list of actresses who've overcome postpartum depression and are willing to share their experience continues to grow. We had the opportunity to speak with Angie Harmon about motherhood and her love of outdoor playspaces for kids yesterday at an event celebrating Huggies' new Little Movers Diapers. The actress, who teamed up with the nappy giant to raise money for KaBOOM! – the non-profit that works with local communities to build parks and playgrounds – told us that she suffered from PPD following the births of each of her three daughters with former NFL star Jason Sehorn. She considers the disorder to be the dirty little secret your friends forget to tell you about motherhood.

We also discussed her daughters' upcoming Halloween costumes. Finley, 5, will be Batgirl because she loves the mask and the cape. Avery, 4, will be Strawberry Shortcake because she loves the pink wig and Emery, 9-months old, will be a blossoming flower.

To see our entire video interview with Angie Harmon, including our discussion of her postpartum depression, read more.

Interview With Mark Consuelos: On Family and Fatherhood

babysugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:00:04 -0700

In case you missed the first part of our chat, actor Mark Consuelos took time out of his hectic schedule to talk to me about the importance of his family, date night, and how the economy is bringing clans closer together. Currently riding the press train to promote his new endeavor, Masters of Reception with wife Kelly Ripa, the proud papa is doing his best to Make Every Touch Count.

To see what the handsome dad has to say about bringing sexy back with his better half and to see what job he thinks he does best, read more.

babysugar: How do you and Kelly bring the sexy back to your relationship with three kids and a packed schedule?
Mark: As much as spending time together with the kids is important and we do that as much as we can, I do sneak off for date night with my wife. On Saturday nights, we'll go out with another couple or just have a nice quiet dinner or grab a cup of coffee together and check in. I think making some time for yourself is really important.

Interview With Mark Consuelos: The Star Talks Fatherhood

babysugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:45:25 -0700

We've always been fans of Sugardaddy Mark Consuelos, but this father just keeps getting better with age. The handsome papa to three - Michael, 12, Lola, 7, and Joaquin, 6 - took time out of his busy day to take my phone call and talk about his latest endeavors. The former soap star had me laughing at his off the cuff answers to our four lil questions.

Come back Thursday to check out more candid moments with Mark Consuelos and learn more about his latest cause - The Lever 2000 Touch Campaign.

Interview With Ricki Lake: Your Best Birth

LilSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:05:58 -0700

Known for her spunky attitude as both Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray and her 11-year stint as a daytime talk show host, Ricki Lake has reinvented herself as a women's birthing advocate. Following the release of her documentary about the shifting of the American mindset from home and drug-free deliveries to medicated hospitalized births where Lake chronicled her own son's home birth, she and director, Abby Epstein, penned Your Best Birth ($18). The text is a guide to natural delivery and birthing options.

We had the opportunity to chat with Lake, mama of two - Milo, 12, and Owen, 7 - about labor and delivery, c-sections and motherhood.

lilsugar: Is it hard for women to convince their families that a natural birth, or midwife, is the way to go?
Ricki Lake: I think it is really hard. There's still the stigma attached and very much less than one percent of people have home births. It's not something that’s talked about. If you go to the Netherlands, this is the norm. I think in Holland 30 percent of births are planned home births and they have a better infant mortality rate and maternal death rate. Midwives handle most of the births. So it's just not in our culture to really be open to it. I’m not on a mission to get everybody to deliver at home. I’m on a mission to talk about informed choice in this area.

lilsugar: Did you believe this would be your calling?
Ricki Lake: No! I was looking for something to speak on and be passionate about and this is the natural fit because of my experiences and because there was a lack of a voice. I thought - this is where I can serve, I can do something that I feel is positive. I’m not telling women what to do, I’m just trying to educate them and understand that having the ideal be a birth where you’re an active participant, whatever that is – if it's “don’t take my baby away from me,” or “don’t give me that epidural yet,” or “give me that epidural now.” I mean whatever it is, to not be a number in this conveyor belt.

To read what Ricki had to say about VBACs and mothering her sons, read more.

lilsugar: Why do you think the US has moved so far away from the European midwife model?
Ricki Lake: In the turn of the century, birth moved from home to the hospital as doctors got more and more trained doing surgeries. And then in the last decade, really, this malpractice situation that we’re in, with all the insurance and health care reform, it’s a nightmare. It's a really difficult climate for doctors to practice in. I wouldn’t want to be an obstetrician. It's not even about money any more – you’re not even really making a living. You have to pay this malpractice premium that’s so outrageous that you have to do a certain number of births just to pay it. They need to have a life, they have families of their own. That’s why they can’t wait for a woman to go into labor spontaneously and stay with them through the course of their entire labor and delivery.

lilsugar: Are c-sections the enemy in the birthing process?
Ricki Lake: I don’t think it’s the enemy, It's amazing that doctors are able to save mothers and babies in dire situations. It's a necessary procedure. A lot of times it's being done for reasons that are not in the best interest and safety of the mother – it's from the litigious standpoint. The c-section rate has gone to 32 percent when the world health organization says it should be around 13. Some hospitals are at a 50 percent c-section rate. In New York City, 50 percent of women are being cut open. And with VBACs being an option that is being taken away from many women around the country, I think 200 hospitals have mandated that they will not do a VBAC It's horrible.

lilsugar: You know you're a mother when ______?
Ricki Lake: You are no longer your top priority.

lilsugar: Why didn't anybody tell me _______ about motherhood?
Ricki Lake: Why didn’t anybody tell me that it would be so hard.

lilsugar: What's the best trick your mama taught you?
Ricki Lake: How to heat up a Hungry Man dinner.

lilsugar: Helicopter mom or free-range kids?
Ricki Lake: I think I’m pretty free range. My kids might argue that, but I stand by that I’m pretty free range.

Source

Interview With Lori Loughlin: 90210 Star Dishes on Meals

LilSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Sitting down for a family meal is a time honored tradition that still exists - even in Tinseltown! We recently chatted with Lori Loughlin, the actress best known for her role as Becky Donaldson on Full House and more recently, as Debbie Wilson on 90210, about her partnership with Barilla pasta.

Loughlin and Barilla are encouraging families to involve tots in mealtime planning and preparation through the use of their Piccolini line of miniature classic pasta shapes. The mother of two daughters - Isabella, 10, and Olivia Jade, 9, - has long been a proponent of the family meal. She said:

"Dinner is a really important meal in our household, it is a time that we make a real effort, my husband and I, to be home. We have dinner every night with our kids. My mom cooked every night, his mom cooked every night and now I cook every night for my family. We do eat a lot of pasta in our family. Their favorite shape pasta is penne - we do penne with vegetables, broccoli, diced chicken. We also do turkey meatballs and penne, we do traditional marinara and penne and Bolognese sauce and penne. My kids love the lasagna that I make."

On both Full House and 90210, the actress' characters have made the family dinner central to facilitating conversation about the children's activities.

"At the time when Full House was on, family dinner was more common in America. As your kids are getting older and have their own lives like the teenagers on 90210 - where and when do you have the time to reconnect with your kids? Well, it's over dinner.

To see what Loughlin had to say about how she handles body image issues with her daughters amid rumors of eating disorders in her 90210 costars, read more.

The waif-like stars of the 90210 cast have led to rumors about eating disorders on the set. To instill healthy body images in her two tween daughters, Loughlin focuses on health over diet.

"I say to my kids that you have to really think about what you put in your body because it's your fuel. I always take the approach of health, not weight. We want to start eating healthy now to take care of our heart and our internal organs so we can be strong, so our brains can develop.

One thing I will say that I disagree with in LA, or some of the diets that are [out there] is people cutting out carbs. I don't think you should cut out carbs. I think you need to have that in your system. You can't just be protein and just vegetables. It’s not good for you.

The Piccolini Smiles contest invites parents to send photos of their kids preparing, or eating, their pasta as part of a meal, to see all the details, and learn how to win $25,000 in tuition money, visit www.piccolinismiles.com.

Interview With Sean Astin: Star of Disney's Special Agent Oso

LilSugar — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:00:42 -0700

Parents who grew up watching Sean Astin in The Goonies, Where the Day Takes You and Rudy, can now tune in to his latest endeavor with their children. The actor is the voice of special agent-in-training, Oso, in the Disney Channel's new show Special Agent Oso, which premieres in April 4th. Oso, a panda bear, works for U.N.I.Q.U.E. (United Network for Investigating Quite Usual Events), an international organization of stuffed animals that helps kids accomplish simple tasks like making their bed or mailing a letter. I recently had the chance to chat with Astin, 38, who is also a director and father of three - Alexandra, 12, Elizabeth, 6, and Isabella, 3.

lilsugar: You said that when you saw the animation of the character, Oso, you felt it reflected you - how so?
Sean Astin: Well, just the look of him. I mean I see myself. I'm not a lean, mean marathon runner. I run and occasionally, I slim down, but he's cute, he's cuddly, you know? He's me - ask anyone who's ever met me.

To see what the proud papa had to say about fatherhood and his career, read more.

lilsugar: As the father of three young daughters, are they thrilled that you are going to have a show on the Disney Channel?
Sean Astin: At first they were very matter-of-fact about understanding the concept of the show and they knew it'd come on at some point in the indeterminable future and that dad would be the voice of the character. And, then they saw a commercial for it at their friend's house and they went ballistic. They can't get enough of it. It kind of brought them to the fact that their dad's an actor a little more than before and now they want to start watching other movies that I've been in. That's a direct effect of them enjoying Oso.

Is working on Secret Agent Oso also different because your kids can watch it as opposed to some of your other films?
Sean Astin: Absolutely, there's been a number of movies I have done that were R-rated. I played a drug addict and I've played a homicidal killer and it's just not what we're going to let our children watch. But over the years, I've always gotten approached by people asking why I wasn't making more movies for kids. When this came along, I was really excited. More than anything else, except maybe Meerkat Manor (Astin is the narrator) - this is the most direct, specific way that I can communicate as an actor to kids.

lilsugar: Your big break was in The Goonies, which is a beloved film for kids and people of all ages. Now that you are an adult actor, director and dad, how do you think children's entertainment has changed since then?
Sean Astin: Well I think in a lot of ways it's more elicit. You know something like Goonies there's fun and there's adventure, but it's kind of - I don't know, it's not a laser beam of entertainment. We didn't figure out how the funny bone would get winged in between here and there as is naturally the case. There are so many shows that the people making them now grew up on. All the television shows now are beneficiaries, for better or worse, and a culmination of all those things. I am sort of a purist and like some of the old school things like Peter Pan and classic Disney animation, but the animation you can do now is just absolutely incredible. There used to be a core group of 15 or so actors that did almost all of the voice work that was out there and now you've got world class movie stars who regularly want to participate in the next generation's movies and shows. Violence is a little worse, comedy is a little more intense in some of them, but basically there's good shows, good stories, good characters and talent - well acted.

lilsugar: Fill in the blank. You know you're a father when ____?
Sean Astin: You cry at commercials with families saying goodbye to their kids when they go to college.

lilsugar: Fill in the blank. Why didn't anybody tell me _____ about fatherhood?
Sean Astin: Why didn't anybody tell me how much more sleep I would get as a father and how upset my wife would be about it.

Interview With Tori Spelling: Four lil Questions

LilSugar — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:00:46 -0800

A refrain of "Donna Martin graduates" will always run through my mind when I think about 90210 actress Tori Spelling. And while both she and her famous character may have faced a few obstacles in their lives, Spelling has certainly moved on. The down-to-earth mother of two - Liam, almost 2, and Stella, 8 months - continues to star in her reality series, Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, with husband Dean McDermott, recently signed on to do a few episodes of the new 90210 and is preparing to release her followup to her autobiography, called Mommywood.

We spoke with the mama about parenthood at a Huggies Pull-Ups event in New York yesterday.

To see what Tori had to say about spreading her attention between her tots and comparing notes with her 90210 costars, read more.

On how she balances her attention between her children: It really helps to have a partner who is just as hands on, because then we're both available at any given time. At the end of the day, you only have two hands, you have two children and two hands and someone needs to get fed and someone needs to get changed. Liam, at this point, needs more attention and Stella is just getting into the mode where she needs to be stimulated more . . . she needs activity. She is obsessed with Liam so I often find if I can do something in the room where he can walk around, he can play, and she can be in her exersaucer. She sees him doing things and she's learning from him and they both feel like they get the attention. I sing songs, I put their names in, and I always . . . I call them monkey and ladybug . . . and then la, la, la Monkey and then la, la, la Ladybug and then la, la, la Monkey so no one feels like their name is coming last.
On the difference of conversation with costar Jennie Garth: Its funny, when we first filmed the series, we were really young girls and I remember at the time, we were in our late teens, we'd be talking about the boys and the stuff girls talk about in their late teens, early 20s. And now, we're still giggly like school girls on set, but whenever there's a break we're just swapping baby stories and I'm constantly with my Blackberry., I have all of my pictures, like, "Look at Stella yesterday." "There's Stella eating breakfast." You're just obsessed and then I'm like, "Oh My God, am I like ranting on and showing her pictures of my babies?" And she's like, "Are you kidding, this is my world!" "I'm like, you're right." We can go on for hours.

Check in Monday to read Tori's tips on potty training.

Interview with Imagination Movers: Disney's Amazing Dad Band

LilSugar — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Disney's hottest dad act, the Imagination Movers encourage friendship, creativity, and thinking while they get kids up off the couch. You may assume this is just another example of the Mouse's Midas touch, but it's more. The four friends (three of which are fathers to a combined nine children) have a back story beginning in New Orleans that will have parents pushing their tots in front of the television as the band's message is genuine. Rich Collins (Mover Rich) explained, "We weren't four guys that went and auditioned and got put on a show. There's history that makes us what we are." I had the opportunity to sit down with the foursome (Collins, Scott Durbin, Dave Poche, and Scott "Smitty" Smith) recently in San Francisco. To see how Hurricane Katrina altered their lives and led them to become male role models on the Disney channel, read more.

lilsugar: How did you guys go from being an architect, a firefighter, a teacher and a journalist to having a kid's band?
Dave: We wanted to make quality music for kids because we had children who were steeped in the whole world of entertainment and a lot of what we saw was cartoons and puppets. We brought it back to what we had grown up with - Mr. Rogers and Captain Kangaroo. Mr. Rogers had just passed away and we thought there was a void and decided to take a shot at doing something about it. So we got together - four goofy dads who had an idea and here we are years later and it's turned into something that is of value.
Scott: Actually, the initial idea was local in New Orleans and then low and behold what we created resonated with people and we were tenacious about its development and were fortunate that Disney came and saw us at Jazz Fest. We played our set and started talking about doing a show together and had this concept and that's how it was born.

lilsugar: Did you guys quit your day jobs as touring and doing a show must take up the majority of your time?
Dave: When we started it was a hobby. We'd put the kids to bed and meet. At first, it was in my built out attic room and we'd be there from like nine at night until 12 or one in the morning a few days a week and brainstorm and work. Then, the music took on a life of its own. We made three independent CDs and a DVD and started playing shows. The business needed attention so Rich was the first one to quit and make the full time leap. Then, three years ago Katrina came. Once that happened we lost three of our four homes and Smitty was a firefighter.
Smitty: I still am a New Orleans firefighter, I'm just on leave of absence.

lilsugar: When you lost your homes, did you go stay with family and then reconnect later?
Rich: So the flood came and the three of us lived in one neighborhood (Smitty lived in a drier part of town) so our houses got completely flooded and were under eight feet of water for weeks and our office, Mover stuff and instruments - it was all gone. So we were all in our cars with the kids and the cat and the computer and a few pieces of clothing and a couple of pictures you saved and we were literally refugees, but it's funny. It's not funny really, but there was a day or two after when we were all holed up in different cities and hotels and things and we started communicating via text because we had a show booked that next Saturday in Dallas. And, so I was like - can you get there? Can we do this show?
Dave: I was sitting on the steps of a hotel in Houston, my kids were in bed and I'm exhausted outside with my wife and we're texting because that's the only way you can communicate. I looked at my phone and it was Tuesday or Wednesday and he's like so are we still playing Dallas Saturday? Saturday, I was in Dallas. We realized what else are we gonna do? We will have a hotel room there. I don't know if I have a job, I don't know where anybody is, and there's a small fee out there and I've got an obligation. Not knowing where anything was or where money was gonna come from, we went. People loaned us instruments.
Rich: Scott bought some replacement suits - I was wearing my old glasses. We were like refugee performers - so a bad thing happened and that's kind of a symbol for what happened in the bigger picture. We were totally thrown off of our routines, but quickly realized that there was this huge community of Movers fans in New Orleans and around the south who reached out to us to ask if we were okay. And to let us know, "your music was in the car and kept our kids feeling safe and please keep doing what you're doing". It was this outpouring of support. Doing the Movers gave us this safe harbor and in a bigger sense, it is what allowed us to pull ourselves up out of the storm. This is maybe getting a little too grand, but we managed to get the deal with Disney and bring the production of the show to the city. It was the lifeline for us and for our families to get the show going, but we're now employing more than one hundred people for seven months at a time when we do the show. It's a huge boost for the local film community.

lilsugar: No matter what happens, you're staying in New Orleans?
Smitty: New Orleans is a small town, we grew this thing from nothing. People would tell us that this was their sense of normalcy and for us this became the thing we rallied around to lift ourselves up.
Scott: The one guy who didn't lose his home, Smitty, penned the lyrics to the song, We Got Each Other which was probably the first recorded song in New Orleans after Katrina and was on our Eight Feet album.
Dave: You might lose your tangible things, but you've still got your family and friends and support.
Smitty: I didn't lose my house and none of my family died or anything, but as a fireman, for two weeks straight we banded together and relied on one another for our lives. That was part of that song too. It was pretty tough, but I think out of all that, here comes this good thing.
Scott: Our lives turn on a dime. We were professionals working jobs and then we were standing in line for welfare or to get food stamps. It was just a real experience.

Courtesy of Disney