LilSugar

Jon and Kate Plus 8: Family Music Video

LilSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:58:37 -0700

Jon & Kate plus 8 kids in music video "Together"

Last night's episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8 was full of surprises. First, Kate took her five lil ladies - Madelyn, Cara, Alexis, Hannah, and Leah - to paint pottery and didn't freak out about the mess. Then, while Jon and his mini mes - Aaden, Collin and Joel- were at man camp working out and drinking smoothies, Joel introduced himself as "daddy's son". Just when you thought it couldn't get any more entertaining, the Gosselins went to New York City and recorded an inspirational family song and music video aptly called, "Together". Check it out!

Should Divorced Couples Spend the Holidays Together?

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:55 -0800

Jon and Kate are both planning on being home for the holidays this year. Despite the quarreling twosome's very messy and public divorce, Jon says that they will all be celebrating Christmas together as a family. Every divorce and family is unique and what works well in some broods may not work for others; critics say that it may give the children a false sense of what is really going on. Weigh in on the topic and tell us - do you think it's a wise decision for divorced couples to spend the holidays together as a family for the sake of the children?

10 Hints For Having Little Helpers in the Holiday Kitchen

LilSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:22 -0800

Too many cooks in the kitchen is a good thing this holiday season. Lisa Barnes, fellow mom, chef, and author of Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry reminds stressed out parents that, "The holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to allow your children to help with the meal preparation and offers quality time together as a family. This is a way to keep your children occupied, but is also a fun, educational activity that incorporates a range of skills and senses, such as counting, measuring, reading, touching, listening, planning, smelling, tasting, and creativity." To add some cheer to your cooking during this festive time, Barnes gives LilSugar readers these helpful hints for having your own little helpers in the holiday kitchen.

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Jon and Kate Plus 8: "Gymnastics and Baseball" Episode

LilSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:30:18 -0800

Last night on Jon and Kate Plus 8, the family takes on sports of all sorts. The quarreling parents may be spending the holidays together, but they're still separate in the final episodes of the show. Take the quiz to see how well you watched!

Can't get enough of the Gosselins? For more on the whole crew, visit the Jon and Kate Plus 8 group over in our LilSugar Community!

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Source: TLC

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Mommy Dearest: Should I Trust the Other Parents?

babysugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:30:58 -0800

Mommy Dearest,

I am entering new territory and could use some advice. My preschool son is starting to make new friends of his own from his classroom. A few of his little buddies have asked him to come over for a playdate, which is exciting and scary at the same time. Thrilled that he is advancing socially, I am nervous to let him go over to a friend's house where I don't know the parents at all. I could care less about snacks or sugary drinks but I wonder what the mom's disciplinary style may be or how she deals with her children. Heaven forbid she's a closet drinker like that woman who drove drunk and killed all of those innocent children. I don't want to be a helicopter parent but I don't want to regret anything, either.

- Scared to Be Helicopter Mom

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, just read more.

Scared to Be Helicopter Mom,

Your concerns are natural and admirable - you are looking out for your child's best interest. An easy way to solve your problem is to have an initial mommy and child playdate where the boys can play together, and you can get to know the other mother. During that time, you can chat and try to figure out where she stands on some issues. If she talks a big game of drinking or partying, it may be an indicator that you need a few more dual-parent supervised dates or that you need to host the playdates. Another idea is to organize a social event for a group of the moms so you can get to know them outside of your children. It will help you feel better about leaving them in their care and vice versa. More than anything, you should trust your intuition. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

- Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on our new community page.

The Pregnancy Posse: Mama-to-Be at 24 Weeks

Lil Community — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:00:53 -0800

This story was submitted from member KWM in our The Pregancy Posse group.

My husband and I took a little "babymoon" to Hawaii last week for some quality time before our lives change forever in February. It was really nice to relax together and gave me a chance to show off my baby bump on the beach! Anybody else have bumps to share?

Want to talk pregnancy with other expectant mamas? Join The Pregnancy Posse over in our LilSugar Community and share your stories, recipes and photos! If you have a post you want to see featured on LilSugar private message me here to pitch your ideas. I can't wait to hear them.

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!

Do You Take Your Tot to Sporting Events?

babysugar — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:00:00 -0800

What's porous, striped or gold all over? Mini "Cheeseheads," wee Yankees, or lil Lakers, of course. While tiny tots may not understand the sport at hand, many parents enjoy the ritual and family time spent together at big sporting events. Tailgating before the game and noshing on hot dogs in the stadium are fun for mom and pop but the youngsters usually like the cotton candy and Cracker Jacks best. The only thing that could make a win better is if baby's mug is up on the jumbotron... the sighs in the crowd will be audible. Still some like to keep the sport and spit-up separate so mom and pop can sip and scream all they want.

Tell us, what is your sport attending style?

Flickr user elijahsong

Do You Hold Family Meetings?

LilSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:23 -0800

The family that eats together, stays together, right? While dinners often serve as a family meeting of sorts, some busy broods pencil in a separate meeting time in hopes of improving family communication, conflict resolution, and discussing other issues that may come up. The digital age of emailing, cell phones, and social networking has made it possible for many families to interact without coming face-to-face with one another. Though it may seem old-fashioned, some crews choose to assemble the troops on a regular basis.

Do tell, does your family hold meetings?

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