LilSugar

A Few of Lil's Favorite Things: January

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:15:00 -0800

A new year and a toy box full of goodies. As if your kids didn't get enough gifts for the holidays, we've scoped out a few fun finds that will keep your tots occupied and out of mommy's hair!

Band Buddies: Rubber Band Ball Kit ($7). Put an end to sibling backseat wars with this kit filled with elastics. Moms can relax while their tykes' hands stay busy.
Pomegranate Baby Book ($70). This 24-page book is a keepsake full of memories with a display worthy design on the cover. The album includes an envelope for parents to tuck away treasures like baby's first hair clipping.
Plan Toys Balancing Cactus Game ($22). Made entirely of recycled materials, this Jenga for the younger set helps lil ones three and older learn to balance objects.
Molly N Me: Gel Tattoo Pens ($10). For the kid begging for body art and the mom who fears permanence, this pack of six gel pens is a good solution. Youngsters can doodle away and then wash their tats off.
Melissa & Doug Toolbox Fill and Spill ($20). Keep lil Mr. Fix It's busy while you're working on big projects around the house with this well equipped kit.

A Few of Lil's Favorite Things: January

LilSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:00:48 -0800

A new year, a new baby, a new you! Kick start 2008 with a few of lil's favorite finds.

Take a hint from fashion-forward matey, Pax Jolie-Pitt with this durably darling Kingsley Pirate Hoodie ($95). It will keep your swashbuckler snug on and off the playground.
These cozy knit kickers ($30) by Heather's Treasure Box will have your lil wrangler looking the part whether he's at home on the range or an urban cowboy.
Weather storms with this charcoal Mamacoat ($188) by Japanese Weekend. Known for its multipurpose fashions, the brand offers clothing that can be worn in pregnancy and the postpartum stages. And, this jacket gets even more bang for your buck by outfitting baby. It's four jackets, a hood, and a hat in one!
Got cabin fever? Get the kids in an outside state of mind with Doctor Noize's musical adventure. The Ballad of Phineas McBoof ($15) will entertain your tots with an imaginative excursion where they will encounter bass-playing hippopotamuses and yodeling lizards.
Send your gal puddle jumping in these rubber Maryjane rainboots ($27) by Trumpette. The cleverly designed galoshes available in white, purple, and fuchsia are bound to trick and splash an onlooker or two.

Will Ferrell's Got Another Boy on Board!

babysugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:47:41 -0700

I can't get enough of funny man Will Ferrell, and apparently, he can't get enough of babies. The papa of two is expecting his third son with his beautiful wife Viveca Paulin. Brothers Magnus and Mattias can look forward to adding another lil man to the mix this January. It's a wonder that the giggle factor in that house doesn't make it implode. Congratulations to the growing family!

Woman Pregnant With Siblings, Not Twins

LilSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:30:54 -0700

Carrying two babies, but they aren't twins? A woman goes in for her routine first sonogram where doctors see a healthy baby girl growing in the womb. Moments later, doctors hear a second heartbeat belonging to a younger fetus. They soon discover that the woman is pregnant with two children, two weeks apart in age, making them siblings, not twins.

An Arkansas couple appears to have a very rare case of superfetation, which involves conceiving while already pregnant. Doctors have only found about 10 other similar cases in history. While gross differences in the conception dates of the babies can potentially cause lung development issues in the younger one, these babies appear to be healthy and growing at normal rates. The babies have different due dates, but will likely be born at the same time. This should make birthday party planning a bit easier for the parents, because if they were born on their actual due dates, one would be born in December 2009 and the other in January 2010. Would you treat the children as siblings or twins?

Mommy Dearest: Family Vacation Interferes With School

LilSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:00:48 -0700

Mommy Dearest,

My husband's parents' 50th anniversary is coming up in December and they offered to take the entire family on a trip to celebrate. They selected a cruise that does not return until the 5th of January. While the trip works for the rest of the family, it means my preschooler and kindergartener will miss the first two days back to school after Winter break. My mother-in-law says that I shouldn't worry because the children are young. Though I am grateful for the vacation, I am wary of the kids missing class. Should we skip the trip?

– Cruisin' in Lieu of School Mama

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.

Cruisin' in Lieu of School Mama,

It's your in-laws' 50th anniversary - a once in a lifetime event that your children are lucky enough to be a part of- I say take them on the trip and don't worry about the two days of missed class. While the vacation is a generous offer, the experience is one your kiddos will always remember and likely means a great deal to your husband's parents. Prior to leaving, sit down with your children's teachers, explain the situation and see if any assignments need to be completed.

– Mommy Dearest

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

Mourning Mother Kelly Preston Won't Speak About Jett Yet

LilSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:20:00 -0700

To be predeceased by a child is a parent's nightmare that became the sad reality for John Travolta and Kelly Preston when their son died last January. The Hollywood couple has remained out of the public eye as they lament the loss of their late 16-year-old, Jett. In July, it was announced that Kelly would break her silence and speak out about her devastation on a grief and resilience panel at the California Governor's Conference for Women in October. The mourning mother has since (and understandably) pulled out. She said:

"It is with my sincere apologies that I must pull out from speaking at [the] conference. I am sorry, but I truly believed that I could do it. Otherwise I never would have said that I could. But I am still deeply in the process of healing, and it's just too soon."

If you know parents who have lost a child, here are tips for offering your support.

Kate Gosselin and Kelly Preston Featured at California Governor's Conference For Women

LilSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:46:06 -0700

It will be a meeting of the motherly minds in Long Beach. California's first lady, Maria Shriver, is putting together quite the mom panel - guests include everyone from Kate Gosselin to Kelly Preston - for her California Governor's Conference for Women in October. It was announced today that actress Kelly Preston who suffered the loss of her 16-year-old son, Jett, in January would sit alongside Elizabeth Edwards on a grief and resilience panel. This will be Preston's first public appearance since the child's passing.

Kate Gosselin, best known as TLC's mom of multiples and star of Jon and Kate Plus 8, will also be participating in the national forum that encourages women to be architects of change. The full list of speakers will be announced next week, but it is said to include quite a few famous mamas - Caroline Kennedy, Madeleine Albright and Annie Leibovitz.

Nicole Richie Brings Hippie-Chic Styles to Pea in the Pod

LilSugar — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:57:47 -0700

Next month expectant women who are fans of hippie-chic styles can move beyond vintage clothing stores to a new shopping resource. Known for her Bohemian baby-bump style, Nicole Richie is working with A Pea in the Pod on a collection of maxi dresses, tops, and bottoms that reflect her fashion sensibilities.

The mother to Harlow and a second babe due this Summer is also the face of the line, having played model at a recent ad photo shoot. Pregnant ladies will have to gather up the garments fast since the collection will only be available from August through January.

Are the Boys Scouts of America Discriminating Again?

LilSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:18 -0700

The Boy Scouts of America has been credited with building boys up, but do they also tear young men down with their discriminatory policies? First there was the issue with gay youth and now it's overweight children and volunteers. New weight restrictions may keep some scouts and their parents from participating in activities. One report said:

A new mandatory weight requirement by the national Boy Scouts of America that will take effect next January has some longtime volunteers concerned they will be left out of trips they've enjoyed with their sons for years.

This means one father who currently weights in at 370 pounds and has long been involved in the organization would have to drop to a minimum of 239 pounds to be allowed to "participate in any high-adventure activity and events in which emergency evacuation would take longer than 30 minutes by ground transportation."

Ritmo Prenatal: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

babysugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:00:01 -0700

Pregnant women are barraged with ads for products that are designed to ease their pregnancy and make their babies smarter in utero. I can't tell you how many coupons and brochures I have received for nutritional snack bars and belly creams while expecting.

I had long read about the benefits of playing music for children before birth, but had limited it to the radio in my car and my iPod speaker system. It may be time to take it to a new level with the introduction of the Ritmo Prenatal, a set of headphones made expressly for pregnant bellies. With four speakers built into a soft harness, the Ritmo Prenatal has a cable that connects directly to your MP3 player allowing you and your baby to listen to the music of your choice. According to the photos on the site, the belt can be worn directly against the belly or over clothing and should be comfortable, as the company encourages wearing it while grocery shopping and walking the dog.

The Ritmo Prenatal will not be available until January, which is a bit too late for me, but tell me, would you be willing to shell out the approximately $100 the product will cost?