LilSugar

Maybe We Should We All Move to France?

babysugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:00:56 -0700

If you want to spark a debate, just gab about America's health and child care systems. While many countries offer new mothers a year of maternity leave, most American women get three months maximum. And in regard to financial benefits, there are few. The child tax credit offers parents a small relief, but for most, it is negligible. In France, however, it's a different story.

Even two of the world's most famous and wealthy movie stars, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, are eligible for relief from the French government. While I can only assume they would reject it, People reports:

They are technically eligible for a "nanny payment" of $975.84 a month, not to mention an "orphan allowance" of $508.97 for each of their three adopted children. The grand total, $2,592.81, would be payable by check each month.

The total of their child care assistance is high due to the number of children they have, but I am still impressed that people of their stature would qualify for such aid. In addition to noshing on baguettes, wine, and cheese, France sounds like such a nice place to raise a family.
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!

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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

Lil Links: Wild Tire Swings Come to Life

babysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:35:30 -0800

Wild recycled tire swings - Inhabitots
If you thought Lily looked like mama Kate, check out her papa! - Celebrity Baby Blog
Amazing art-covered belly casts - CafeMom
Should adoptive parents have to disclose their gun situations? - ParentDish
Is Frances Bean Cobain heading to the Ivy League? - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Conjoined twins separated in Bangladesh - MomLogic
Thanksgiving craft alert! - Alpha Mom
Surviving the 2009 flu season - Fit Pregnancy
Shhhh . . . your baby is listening in the womb - Momformation

Lil Links: Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Hits the South of France

babysugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:50 -0700

Shiloh soaks up the South of France - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Laila Ali talks about her lil man Curtis - Celebrity Baby Blog
After school programs getting the ax - Cookie
Cute fitted baby sheets - CafeMom
Pornographic candy wrappers! - ParentDish
Breastfeeding twins - Inhabitots
Mister Rogers goes to Washington - The Poop
Stealing baby's toothpaste - Parent Hacks

When Did Your Lil One Lose Her First Tooth?

LilSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:00:46 -0700

The tune "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" may have a special meaning for Shiloh Jolie-Pitt this holiday season. When the 3-year-old beauty was spotted visiting a toy store in France, she was sporting a rather authentic-looking pirate costume - including a missing front tooth.

The tooth fairy doesn't tend to start visiting lil ones until they reach the ripe old age of 6, though some get a visit up to two years earlier. According to doctors, teeth tend to fall out in the same order in which they appear, with the front two bottom teeth falling out first, followed by the top two. When a wee one loses a tooth before its usual time - either due to an accident or tooth decay - they don't usually rush off to the dentist in search of a veneer or bridge like their parents do. Instead they must wait until the permanent tooth grows in, often a few years later.

Brad and Angie's little blondie will likely be flashing her gap-toothed smile for a few years now. When did your youngster lose her first tooth?

Celebaby Roundup

LilSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:00:00 -0800

Over the holidays, celebs spent a lot of time with their families, just like most of us. From trips to see Santa to shopping to ice skating, they were busy getting one-on-one time with their lil ones. We even got a glimpse of President-elect Obama, taking advantage of some quality time with his daughter in Hawaii. Check out the slideshow to see what he and a few of our other favorite lil faces were up to this week.

Flynet

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Celebaby Roundup

LilSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:32:53 -0800

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than a lil time with your wee ones? Celebs enjoyed the holidays with their families this past week, and the adorable faces of Hollywood's smallest stars were a sweet treat to kick off the spirit of the season. Check out the slideshow to see who was up to what!

Flynet

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Ed Hardy to Launch Baby Product Line This Fall

LilSugar — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 04:00:41 -0700

Was Christian Audigier, founder of Ed Hardy, picking Jon Gosselin's brain about baby products when they were yachting in the South of France? We don't know exactly what the two were discussing earlier this Summer, but perhaps the dad of eight was giving some input on newborn products.

The company just announced the launch of Ed Hardy Baby Products, which will include baby bottles, bibs, and pacifiers featuring the tattoo designs. The BPA-free bottles and suckers will be manufactured in Germany using a silicone treatment to meet current safety standards and are expected to hit store shelves in October.

Are you interested in the latest eclectic offerings?

Girls Are Never Too Old For Fancy Pants!

LilSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:00:07 -0700

I see London, I see France...Summer skirts and gymnastic-loving lil girls have been taunted about their undergarments throughout history. If only the beautiful bloomers and fun diaper covers that looked so cute on their tushes as tots worked for older kids too.

Mamas looking for a way to avoid the unnecessary schoolyard antics will consider some of the short-like underwear covers available. Like Monkey Bar Buddies, the fun and fanciful designs of Francie Pants might encourage your adventure-seeker to hang onto the jungle gym for a few more minutes. Each box comes with a little paper doll sporting the covers and encouraging girls to dress them in whatever.

Jon and Kate Continue to Hang Out For the Sake of Their Eight

LilSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:50:49 -0700

Say what you will about mom and dad of multiples, Jon and Kate Gosselin, but it's pretty impressive that despite their differences, the soon-to-be former husband and wife are still seemingly amicable around their children. They both appeared to enjoy their home-thrown Fourth of July festivities with their twins and sextuplets. Then, Jon took a very public jaunt to France with girlfriend Hailey Glassman, and granted an interview to People despite the statement that the parents issued saying they would not be talking publicly again about their divorce. One might have suspected he'd receive a chilly reception upon his return, but that doesn't look like the case in these photos of the tensome hanging out together.

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