LilSugar

Mommy Dearest: Do Full Moons Bring on Labor?

LilSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:00:27 PST

Mommy Dearest,

My baby is due this month, just a few days after the full moon. But I've heard that the full moon could cause me to go into labor. Should I tell my mom to fly in a little early?

- Pregnant "Luna"tic

To see the response from Mommy Dearest,

Pregnant "Luna"tic,

Some folks say that a full moon may mean increased birth rates, but I couldn't find much data to back the theory up.

The book The Lunar Effect, brought the "biological tides theory" to the forefront and the author, Arnold L. Lieber, argued that the moon affects the human body in much the same way as it does the world's oceans. This means that if a woman is close to her due date during a full moon, the pressure caused by the moon's effect on the water inside the amniotic sac could cause it to burst. And even though a recent study has said that birth rates are definitely not affected by the moon's cycle, some women still swear by it.

My expectant friend's OBGYN told her not to get her hopes up about it so maybe you shouldn't either. Let's see if any lilsugar readers were born or gave birth on a full moon.

- Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on TeamSugar.
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Moonstruck: 18 Lunar Pieces For Your Home, Starting at Just $12

Elka Karl — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:01:15 PDT

Tomorrow night, the northern hemisphere will experience both the brightest and the highest-riding full moon of the year. According to NASA, midnight is the best time to view it to experience its brightness. While we're definitely going to head outside tomorrow night to check it out in person, we're also major fans of lunar-themed decor. From trompe l'oeil antique paintings to the most modern and subtle of accents, the moon is a lovely inspiration for your home decor. Keep clicking to see 18 of our favorite on-the-market pieces.

Young People Enjoy a Splash of Color During Holi Celebrations

Annie Scudder — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:59:37 PST

Today people in India mark Holi, also known as the Festival of Spring or the Festival of Colors. The vibrant Hindu tradition is celebrated at the end of Winter, on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna - which is today! Similar to Mardi Gras, during Holi social restrictions are loosened. In India, Hindus from all classes and both sexes celebrate together, and people are expected to act a little wild, throwing colorful dust on each other to mark the end of a cold and dark Winter. See pictures from this year's celebration now.

Announcing the 2012 Oscar Nominations!

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:21:53 PST

The 2012 Oscar nominations have been announced! Lots of award season regulars, like The Artist and The Descendants, got some love, but there were also a handful of surprises, like nominations for Nick Nolte, Gary Oldman, and Terrence Malick. Bridesmaids also scored big, with noms for best original screenplay and best supporting actress for Melissa McCarthy.

The Academy chose nine films for best picture, with lots of familiar titles in there, plus a couple that had early awards buzz but haven't necessarily had consistent attention, like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Tree of Life. The films that racked up the most nominations were Hugo with 11 and The Artist with 10.

To see the full list of nominations, just keep reading.

Check Out the 2012 People's Choice Nominations Before the Show Airs Tonight!

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:02:20 PST

The People's Choice Awards are tonight, so now's your chance to get a good look at who's up for the trophies. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is dominating the movie categories, especially since there was no Twilight film eligible for this year's awards (though Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson still earned nods because they appeared in other movies). Vampires are still big at the PCAs, at least for the TV categories - The Vampire Diaries and its stars are all over this list. On the subject of the small screen, the awards have brought in another distinction for television: network shows and cable series are now separated (and fan favorite Game of Thrones pops up for its first season).

You'll be able to watch the results when the show airs tonight, and remember: we are LIVE from the red carpet and backstage throughout the show! The live show starts at 5 p.m. PST/ 8 p.m. EST, and you can watch us here.

To get the full list of nominations, just keep reading.

Announcing the 2012 SAG Awards Nominees

Molly Goodson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 06:05:23 PST

The 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations are out this morning, and we're bringing you all the action - watch our streaming video of the SAG Awards announcement, which we're replaying all morning long. Judy Greer and Regina King were up bright and early in LA to do the honors, a few of which went to Judy's movie The Descendants. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Leonardo DiCaprio are once again up against each other in the lead actor category, which should make for a fun race, though we were disappointed to see Ryan Gosling's name left off the list. Bridesmaids continues to rake in the early award-season love as well, with the cast and Melissa McCarthy both scoring nods. The Screen Actors Guild Awards air live on Jan. 29 at 8/7c on TNT.

In the TV category, we're excited to see the love for Game of Thrones, which is up against perennial favorites including Dexter and Breaking Bad. Steve Carell also has at least one more chance to win for The Office, and with tomorrow's Golden Globes nominations announcement, we'll see if he's recognized again.

Who are you excited to see on - or disappointed to see left off - the nominations roster? To see the full list of SAG nods just

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
The Artist
Bridesmaids
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Jean Dujardin, The Artist

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Armie Hammer, J. Edgar
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Betty White, Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Lost Valentine
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
James Woods, Too Big to Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
Boardwalk Empire
Breaking Bad
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Glenn Close, Damages
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Patrick J. Adams, Suits
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

SCREEN ACTORS GUILD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Mary Tyler Moore

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
The Adjustment Bureau
Cowboys & Aliens
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
X-Men: First Class

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
Dexter
Game of Thrones
Southland
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena
True Blood

Watch the Lunar Eclipse Tomorrow Morning With the Help of Tech

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:10:05 PST

Set your alarms, party people: there's a total eclipse happening tomorrow morning. The eclipse will start at 4:45 a.m. PST Saturday morning, Dec. 10, with the full shadow of the Earth being cast on the moon by 6:05 a.m. The Western US will have the best view of the last total lunar eclipse we'll see until 2014. The moon will turn red "with a hint of turquoise," which is perfect for the holiday season. This being Winter and all, there's a good chance your city could be covered in clouds, which puts a damper on your eclipse excitement. But don't worry, these two apps and sites can help you watch, no matter if you're in the middle of a storm or out of viewing range.

SkySafari 3
An app for your iPhone, SkySafari 3 is free through this weekend in honor of the eclipse. This app lets you see the lunar eclipse as it's happening, right on your phone. But after the eclipse is over, you'll be able to explore the night sky and see accurate star maps wherever you are.

Slooh and Google Earth
Astronomy site Slooh has partnered up with Google Earth to bring you live views of space, including the moon. To access the feed, click on the "planets" icon in the Google Earth toolbar to switch to Sky mode. Then, in the layers panel, open the Current Sky Events folder and click on the Slooh Space Camera layer. You can also embed a live feed widget on your blog or website so your visitors can enjoy the view from wherever they are in the world.

The Office, "Gettysburg": Best Lines of the Night

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:41:13 PST

This week on The Office, Andy plans a day trip to Gettysburg in order to boost company morale and teach the crew all about the "business" of war and how it translates to paper. Since the trip isn't mandatory, half of the office stays back in Scranton, hoping they'll have a laid-back day. All of that changes when Robert California shows up and tells everyone to start coming up with some "game-changing" strategies. Where did the winning idea come from you ask? I'm happy to say it was none other than the incomparable Kevin Malone.

Back to the field trip: when the gang arrives at their destination, Andy opts out of the traditional "tourist" route and takes everyone on the "specially created Andy Bernard tour," full of quirky lessons and mile-long hikes. When Andy becomes much too much for everyone, he takes off solo, hoping that someone will follow. In the most heartfelt moment of the episode, Jim and Darryl find Andy and give him permission to stop trying so hard; he has nothing to prove and everyone likes having him as manager. I was so thrilled that the guys made this grand gesture. Hopefully this will cut out the Nard Dog's constant whining that I've been finding so hard to swallow these days. Overall, "Gettysburg" is a pretty solid episode. While this wasn't necessarily my favorite of the season, it absolutely has its moments. To find out some of my favorite lines, just keep reading.

Breaking Dawn Soundtrack: 5 Songs You Should Download

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:17:31 PST

We have to wait until next week to see the wedding, honeymoon, and love scenes of Breaking Dawn, but you can have an early taste of the film with the soundtrack, which is out today. I always look forward to the well-curated Twilight soundtracks and their mix of songs that reflect the darkly romantic tone of the films (I still regularly listen to the New Moon and Eclipse albums). The latest soundtrack is a bit less moody than its predecessors, but it's still an awesome variety of indie gems, bold rock, and romantic but not cheesy ballads. I've picked my top five favorites to highlight (see the full Breaking Dawn soundtrack listing here).

"Endtapes" by The Joy Formidable: The first track is an upbeat indie rock jam, with its edges softened by the sweet voice of the female lead singer. The infectious drum beat makes you feel like something exciting is coming - a fitting opener for such a solid soundtrack.
"A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri: Perri's beautiful ballad is lyrically perfect for Edward and Bella's relationship; she sings "I have loved you for a thousand years . . . I'll love for a thousand more." Even if you're not a vampire, the sentiment will make you swoon.
"I Didn't Mean It" by The Belle Brigade: One of the big, loud rock songs of the soundtrack, it rouses you from any sort of dreamy coma the previous love songs may have lulled you into. I'm hoping it accompanies some kind of badass werewolf moment.
"It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars: With Edward and Bella married and therefore stable in their relationship, there are fewer songs about heartbreak, but Edward still has to worry about losing Bella to death. Bruno Mars is best known for his jaunty pop songs, but he gets emotional for this haunting song. The beat and passion in Mars's vocals make this the sexy standout.
"Flightless Bird, American Mouth" (Wedding Version) by Iron & Wine: Any fan of the Twilight series will recognize this song from Edward and Bella's memorable slow dance at the prom. Iron & Wine have updated the gorgeous love song into a version for the wedding with more strings and a more formal vibe that's even lusher than the original. I imagine this song to be the happy couple's first dance, and I get the chills listening to it and thinking about it.

Soleil Moon Frye Shares Her Favorite Birthday Party Tips

Guest Writer — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:33:02 PDT

Editor's note: The following is a guest post written by Soleil Moon Frye, Target's mommy ambassador, author of Happy Chaos, and mom to Poet, 6, and Jagger, 3. This week Soleil shares her tips on bringing her kids into the kitchen.

I'm a huge holiday person, and birthday celebrations are especially important to me. It's not about the presents - my favorite memories from childhood birthdays are of my mom showering me with attention, filling the day with my favorite foods, and making me feel special and loved.

I'm not sure anything will ever top Johnny Depp crashing my 12th birthday (a special surprise from a mutual friend), but I'm determined to create similarly unforgettable birthday experiences for my girls.

For Poet’s fifth birthday, we had a Grease-themed party and went for a full-out, '50s-style event. It’s possible to be elaborate without being expensive - for the Grease party I found discounted Halloween costumes and spandex pants online, then scooped up festive and affordable party supply essentials at Target. My friends set up a makeup station and sprayed the girls' hair into wild Grease-era styles. If you’re willing to play DJ on your iPod, a dance party is free!

Here are some other fun, budget-friendly ideas:

DIY goodie bags: Fill large mason jars with candy and let kids decorate brown paper to-go sacks with stamps and stickers.
Treasure hunt: Scatter little toys and treats around the yard or park, and send the kids to go find them. Works every time!
Crafts: Buy a bunch of inexpensive picture frames and let the kids decorate them with paint, stickers, and glitter. If you’re a fan of Polaroid cameras like I am, snap photos of each guest with the birthday boy or girl to go in frames as a memory of the day.
Philanthropy: It's never too early to introduce kids to the concept of giving back and instill a sense of compassion and awareness. Have guests bring toys for kids in need or donate the crafts made at the party to a local children’s hospital.

Keep reading for Soleil's tips for ensuring smooth sailing at your party!