LilSugar

10 Ways TV Shows Bared or Covered Pregnant Bellies

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:06 -0800

Try as they might, it is not easy for a celeb to hide pregnancy after the 20 week mark. Actresses may show off their bumps to much fanfare offscreen, but on-screen it depends on the storyline. While some television writers are willing to make a character pregnant, others use creative means to hide their stars' growing midsections or joke about weight gain. Ellen Pompeo will be disguising her belly as Meredith on the upcoming season of Grey's Anatomy and that inspired us to take a look at how other shows handled pregnancy.

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Do You Try to Keep Characters and Logos Out of Baby's Sight?

LilSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:30:37 -0700

Elmo, Dora, Mickey and Pooh – the characters that appear on our boob tubes are often found running around the playground too. Try as we might to shield our innocent children from the images available on cable television, network TV commercials and online media, just take a walk outside and you are sure to be bombarded by characters and logos that look like they jumped right off the screen.

According to the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, marketing directly to children has increased from $100 million in 1983 to more than $17 billion today. By the age of six months, a baby can form a mental image of a corporate logo or mascot, making them able to request those brands by the time they can speak. While wooden toys have increased in popularity due to their safer manufacturing processes, they have not outweighed the popularity of character-driven choices that flood the market. Do you try to shield your lil ones from commercial characters and logos?

Would You Put Your Child on TV?

LilSugar — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:00:19 -0700

Reality TV kiddos are in the news once again as Jackson children may or may not be hitting the small screen in A&E's new reality series, The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty. From the Duggars to the Gosselins, we've all witnessed that the hype and extra cash that accompanies being in the public eye can be both a blessing and a curse. Despite it all, new shows are always popping up featuring young children whose parents are willing to take the risk in exchange for a wee TV career.

Many LilSugar readers already blog about their tot on the Internet, but would you take it a step further and put your child on TV?

Photo courtesy of TLC

Jon and Kate Plus 8: "Time to Organize" Episode

LilSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:30:10 -0700

A professional organizer visits the Gosselins on Jon & Kate Plus 8 and helps turn the brood's cluttered basement into a neat and tidy space. Test your skills and see how closely you watched the show by taking this quiz!

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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What Is the Appropriate Age For the First Kiss Conversation?

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:59 -0700

While many moms and dads fret about having the birds and the bees conversation with their children, some never broach the topic of the first kiss. Kids' lips can meet in puppy love on the playground or years down the road for late bloomers. In last night's episode of Mad Men, Sally Draper planted a wet one on her friend, Ernie, while the two innocently pretended they were driving in a car as they sat in an empty bathtub. After hearing about the incident, Betty told her daughter, "You don’t kiss boys, boys kiss you. Your first kiss will be very special.” Since smooching happens early - even in preschool these days, when do you think it's the best time for parents to talk about a lip-lock to their tots?

If you have strong opinions on moms of the small screen like Betty Draper, mosey on over to the Television Moms group in the LilSugar Community to discuss topical issues from recent episodes of shows.

The Hecks Are Perfectly Imperfect on The Middle

LilSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:10 -0700

For every woman that has ever had a haggard mom moment, you'll find a new hero in Frankie on The Middle. ABC's new comedy debuted last night offering viewers equal parts laughter and a reality check. Patricia Heaton plays a stressed out Midwest mother of three who balances her work as a used car salesman (who has yet to sell a vehicle) and raising her odd offspring. While lots of ladies dream of their kids becoming the best and brightest, Frankie who questions her maternal skills with Axl, Sue and Brick, would just appreciate a day without upset.

As the middle aged mama and her husband, Mike, parent the eclectic trio you can't help but crack up. Axl trudges around the house in his underwear, Sue is a mess who fails at everything and Brick's backpack is his best friend. While all of the characters are lovable, Brick's creepy habits from talking in a low voice to "soothe" himself to copping feels on his teacher make him the center of attention. Just when a viewer's skin begins to crawl, the youngster tells his mom that she's his hero and it's impossible not to melt. The Middle showcases all the things that go wrong in life and makes us appreciate them. After a long day of real life, mothers will find comic relief (and perspective!) while watching this sitcom.

if you've got strong opinions on other moms of the small screen, mosey on over to the Television Moms group on the LilSugar Community, a place to discuss the parenting styles and practices of the small screen's matriarchs along with the topical issues from recent episodes.

Photo courtesy of ABC

Jon and Kate Plus 8: "Tea Party & Snakes" Episode

LilSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:30:06 -0700

During last night's episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, Kate takes the younger girls to a tea party while Jon treats the older girls to a bonfire at home. Test your skills and see how closely you watched the show by taking this quiz!

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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Will Just Kate Plus Eight Still Capture Your Attention?

LilSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:00:31 -0700

Get ready for some more changes in the Gosselin household. While Jon and Kate work out the details of their divorce, the network that airs the show, TLC, just announced that the program will take a new direction this Fall. Jon will no longer be a fixture on the televised portion of the children's lives and the show is being renamed Kate Plus Eight beginning in November.

The twins and sextuplets will continue to be the focus of the program with Kate's new life as a single mother receiving more air time. Since the couple's separation, the mama has told audiences that she is learning to do things on her own – like setting up camping tents and taking all of the youngsters on a beach vacation. The show's ratings have been in a steady decline since the fifth season premiered last Spring. To see what the network had to say about that read more. According to TLC president Eileen O'Neill:

Given the recent changes in the family dynamics, it only makes sense for us to refresh and recalibrate the program to keep pace with the family. The family has evolved and we are attempting to evolve with it; we feel that Kate’s journey really resonates with our viewers.

Though Jon and Kate haven't sat together on the family's "confessional couch" in several months, the loss of Jon from the program eliminates the male perspective about the kids' growth. Will you continue to tune in?

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!

Source: TLC

Modern Family Rocks and Represents All Types of Families

LilSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:30:46 -0700

It's simple, Modern Family rocks! ABC's new sitcom had me in stitches as it showcased three related families. Here are the highlights: First, there's the "traditional" couple, Phil and Claire, who have three teen and tweenage kids - Haley, Alex and Luke. Self-proclaimed cool dad, Phil is anything but, and embarrasses his children by singing and dancing to High School Musical tunes. Priceless moment: When the parents schedule a time to shoot their youngest child with a BB gun as punishment for popping his sister. "Shoot Luke at 4:15"!

Then, there's Grandpa Jay who is a newlywed after marrying the vivacious Gloria who is several years younger. The two are raising Manny, a passionate boy who professes his love to girls much to his step-dad's chagrin. Memorable scene: Jay's reaction to an acquaintance assuming he's Gloria's father.

Rounding out the trio, are gay couple, Mitchell (Jay's son) and Cameron who have adopted baby Lily from Vietnam and are trying to find an appropriate way to tell their relatives about the new addition. Clip that left viewers in stitches: It's a tie between the floating fairy mural in the nursery and Cameron's dramatic unveiling of their daughter to the Lion King music.

No amount of kudos can do this show justice, so make sure you tune in! It's a welcomed break for any busy mom. Photo courtesy of
ABC

The Good Wife Is a Must Watch for Mothers

LilSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:30:20 -0700

To say that Alicia Florrick from CBS's new show is The Good Wife is an understatement. After her politician husband Peter (Chris Noth) is embroiled in a sex scandal, she publicly appears with him. We've all wondered why real-life women like Elizabeth Edwards and Silda Spitzer stood by their men despite being humiliated. In Tuesday's episode, Alicia explains how she could never understand their behavior until she was in the situation. She says:

"How can you allow yourself to be used like that? And, then it happened and I was . . . unprepared."

Julianna Margulies is remarkable in her role as the wronged wife and former lawyer who returns to work after a long hiatus to become the family breadwinner during her husband's incarceration. To see why I think the show is a must watch for mothers, read more.

While the character's circumstance is one most women hope to never find themselves in, Alicia is someone we all can relate to because despite the enormity of some of her issues, she also deals with the everyday stuff like protecting her children from the media, enduring an overbearing mother-in-law, and competing with co-workers half her age at the office. The character has been crafted so it's impossible not to sympathize with and respect her. Who could forget the poignant opening scene where she slaps Peter after exiting the press conference? I'm anxious to see how the show unfolds and consider it a must see for mothers this Fall. What's your opinion?

Tonight we'll be tuning in to Fall's other hot mom shows, so follow LilSugar's live tweets as we watch ABC's Modern Family and Cougar Town!

Photo courtesy of CBS