LilSugar

Lil Loves Of Our Lives: Ben Murphy of TheFatherLife

LilSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:00:36 PST

Ben Murphy and a couple of his buddies, started a TheFatherLife for dads that love their kids, but aren't willing to surrender themselves.

The free online men's magazine covers topics from how to help a wife with postpartum depression to kids and football for good guys who double as great dads.

Who is the lil love of your life?
My wonderful wife and our two girls; Emma, age 4 and Erin, 18 months.
Which came first, the baby or the blog?
The baby. TheFatherLife.com actually came about because I had kids and was looking for a men's magazine geared towards fathers --- and there wasn't one. So myself and a couple of friends started TheFatherLife.com!

To see what Ben misses most about his pre-baby days,

Announcing the 2012 Grammy Award Nominations

Rose Curiel — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:51:21 PST

For the second year in a row, the Recording Academy has given a hip-hop artist the most Grammy nominations. Last year, it was rapper Eminem with eight, and this year, Kanye West leads the nominees with seven chances at the golden gramophone, including a song of the year nod for "All of the Lights." West is also nominated twice in the rap album of the year category for his collaboration with Jay-Z on Watch the Throne and his own album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Brit crooner Adele wasn't far behind Kanye, picking up six nominations for her album 21, as well as a shot at song of the year with "Rolling in the Deep."

Bruno Mars also did well, racking up six nominations (that's down one from last year for those keeping track), while newcomers like Nicki Minaj and dubstep artist Skrillex are up for the best new artist category. See what other artists have a chance of walking away with a Grammy during the February 12 award show when you read more

Lil Gift Guide: Great Gifts For 4-Year-Olds!

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:33:43 PST

By 4 years old, tots know what they like, and they're already forming their own wish lists for the holidays. Chances are that many of the items on that list are the hottest toys of the season - including the LeapFrog LeapPad and the VTech InnoTab, Lalaloopsy, and Hot Wheels Wall Tracks. If mama's looking for a few new ideas, we've got her covered. Check out our favorite finds for these preschoolers!

The Orb Factory's StoryCraft The Frog Prince ($20) allows for creative storytelling, as tots add shapes and jewels to a 10-page story book about the Frog Prince fairy tale. LeapFrog keeps expanding its popular Tag reading system to do more than just teach tots to read. The LeapFrog Solar System Adventure Pack ($14) uses the Tag stylus to teach lil ones about the solar system - exploring planets and educating tots about life beyond Earth. Exercise doesn't feel like a chore with Diggin's Wobble Deck ($45), which plays music and games while tots try to balance on the board. Mini American Idol fans will love First Act's Voice Rockrz Mic ($25) that not only changes the singer's voice, but provides drumrolls and applause. Kids will rule the neighborhood with Fisher Price's Power Wheels Stinger XT ($250), a motorized car with room for two.

Dr. Sears Says Parents Must Make Better Food Choices, Tiger Mom Doesn't Work

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:26:01 PDT

Parenting trends come and go, and in his 30 years serving parents and children, Dr. Bill Sears has seen it all. The pediatrician, author of more than 30 baby and parenting books, and founder of the attachment parenting movement has some strong views on how we are raising our tots today, and he's not afraid to voice them.

I spoke with the doctor at the launch of his new Dr. Sears Family Essentials line of all-natural snacks, beverages, and baby care products. After discussing the importance of adding DHA to kids' diets, our conversation shifted to current parenting issues. See what he had to say!

LilSugar: How concerned should parents be with environmental health issues, and how can parents reduce their effects on kids?
Dr. Bill Sears: Very concerned. But they can talk about it. But the fact of life is, they can make changes in the food issue much quicker than environmental issues.

LS: In all of your years of watching babies and parents, what trends do you find most interesting now, and which do you find most disturbing?
Dr. Sears: The best trend right now is parents finally taking nutrition seriously. They're making the connection between what my child eats and how my child's brain grows, how my child learns to behave. They've always known that, but they're now doing something. For the first time in history, we're seeing an action plan.

The second trend is pediatricians are not being so wimpy. We used to say, "Oh you're child needs to eat healthy," or "Your child's a bit overweight." We don't use the term overweight anymore. We use the term prediabetic. For a mom, sitting in my office, and I say to you, because I care, that Susi is prediabetic, you're going to make a change much more than if I say she's a bit overweight. So that’s a trend that we’re seeing, because the old things are not working.

My concern still is that parents have not gotten the message that my child is what he eats. We cannot blame the food industry. The food industry will make what parents will buy. If you don't buy it, they won’t make it.

Keep reading to see what Dr. Sears had to say about the Tiger Mom movement!

Kelly Preston Discusses Healing and Baby Benjamin in Health Magazine

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 05:31:05 PDT

It's been nine months since Kelly Preston and John Travolta welcomed lil baby Benjamin to their grieving family, and now the mama is speaking out. Appearing on the cover of the September 2011 issue of Health magazine, the actress and mom to Ella, 11, discusses how her religion helped her cope with the couple's son Jett's death two and a half years ago, the joy their new baby brings to their lives, and more. Kelly Preston told Health:

On how she got through the death of her son, Jett: "To be honest, [it was] the Scientology center. I don’t know if I would have made it through without it."

On yearning to be a mom: "I’ve always wanted to be a mother, ever since I was 11 . . . I was doing commercials for thousands of dollars, but I’d still babysit for $3 an hour just because I loved it."

On advice to her former self: "Don’t sweat the small things. Love your kids like it could be the last moment."

On the birth of her son, Benjamin: "We [had been trying] for quite a few years . . . When I found out I was pregnant, I was floored. I’d snuck out of bed and then came back and woke Johnny up in bed. We both started crying. It was wonderful."

On her surreal life with John Travolta: "I’ll be sitting there [in our Florida home] doing something really normal with the kids and then all of a sudden I hear, ‘Whoosh!’ and see the lights of the airplane, and he’s like, ‘Honey, I’m home!"

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Harry Connick, Jr. Knows Who's the Boss in His Female-Dominated Home

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:35:53 PDT

Living in a house full of women has taught Harry Connick, Jr. a thing or two over the years. Most of all, the crooner, actor, and activist has learned to be quiet and listen.

The father of three - Georgia, 15, Sarah Kate, 13, and Charlotte, 9 - is now hoping that others will do the same. He and his middle daughter, Kate, are working with American Girl to introduce the dollmaker's two newest dolls Cécile and Marie-Grace from 1853 New Orleans - and raising money for after-school programming for children at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in NOLA. The father-daughter duo wrote and recorded "A Lot Like Me," based on the message of diversity that streams throughout the new dolls' accompanying books. Each time the song is downloaded, a donation is made to the music center. I recently spoke with the duo about working together and life at home.

LilSugar: Kate, what was it like working with your dad?
Kate Connick: It was great! It’s always fun working with my dad no matter what we do. It was really cool, because we got down to business. And he helped me not only as a dad, but working too.

LS: Harry was it a dream come true working with your daughter?
Harry Connick, Jr.: It's one of those things where before I had kids I would dream about what it was like to have kids and now that I have three girls, it's such a blessing. I never really thought about the prospect of having any of them want to do anything similar to what I do, but Kate's shown interest from early on. To not only have the pleasure of hearing her sing, but to be able to work with her - Kate's very serious and she has a really hard work ethic - it's a joy, I love it!

LS: The books in the new series and the song all celebrate diversity. Harry, you grew up in the diverse world of New Orleans. How do you instill the importance of such diversity in your kids?
Harry Connick, Jr.: We live in Connecticut now, and Connecticut is not as diverse as New Orleans by a long shot. I've told them for a long time that this is kind of a brown world we live in and [where] we live in Connecticut is not by any means representative of the world. So Kate's been to Asia, to Africa. She’s been all over the world, and she sees that this is a diverse world. The music that I play is also very diverse. The musicians that I play with come from different backgrounds, so Kate's pretty steeped in that.

LS: Harry, with three daughters, you're constantly surrounded by women. What's the best part of living in a female-dominated home?
Harry Connick, Jr.: I stay quiet, and I listen. Is that right?
Kate Connick: Oh, yeah.
Harry Connick, Jr.: I mean, who’s the boss of our house?
Kate Connick: Mom
Harry Connick, Jr.: Yeah!.

LS: Kate, do you guys ever gang up on him?
Kate Connick: No, he’s the only guy in the house, so we help him out.

Keep reading to see how Harry works family into his busy schedule, and how he answers our Four Lil Questions.

LeapFrog LeapPad Puts Tots in Control of Their Own Learning Tablets

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:15:40 PDT

Moms may soon regain control of their iPads. The tech toy from Apple that is filled with mama's cooking, organizing, and entertaining apps somehow worked its way into lots of lil ones' hands, and many moms are having a hard time prying it away.

That should all change next week when LeapFrog starts shipping out its new LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet ($100). A tablet engineered just for kids, the LeapPad takes all of the technology introduced on last year's Leapster Explorer (including an ereader that adjusts to tots' learning levels, letter and number writing skills, and a high-resolution touchscreen) and adds exciting new functions like a tilt-sensor (just like the iPad), an enhanced ereader with a visual dictionary and games embedded within the books, a larger (five-inch) screen, and a built-in camera. The company sent us a tablet to try out, see what we thought below.

Who is this product designed for? The manufacturer suggests that the tablet is for tots ages 4 to 9 years old (and it can be customized for up to three kids), but a preschooler could navigate his way around it, too.

What sets it apart? With a five-inch 480-x-272 pixel (16 x 9) touchscreen, the LeapPad offers kids plenty of space to read, draw, write, or view their activities. Given the educational basis behind all of LeapFrog's products, the learning apps included with the system are brought to life on it. The new Ultra eBooks not only reads stories to kids, but should tykes select individual words, the system sounds them out. Portions of books are animated and games are built into them as well. A built-in camera and video recorder can be used on their own or in conjunction with other apps to create storybooks and videos that can be shared once the tablet is connected to a computer. And the accelerometer transforms the tablet into a gaming console, allowing for motion-based activities. Like other LeapFrog products, the Explorer connects to the online Learning Path, allowing parents to track their tots' progress and identify areas requiring additional support. When connected to the computer, artwork, photos, and videos created by kids can also be shared with family and friends through Facebook and email.

What could be better? Kids used to tooling around with their parents' gadgets will have to get used to a slower unit. The 400MHz processor doesn't allow apps to load as quickly as they may be used to. Also, with no WiFi, tots will have to forgo playing Angry Birds and the like, in favor of the more educational apps created by LeapFrog (which could be a very good thing!). The cost may set some families off as well. While the tablet costs $100 and comes with four free apps - Art Studio, Story Studio, Pet Pad, and one of your choice - the 100 additional apps that will be available later this year will cost between $5 to $20, making it a pricey investment. On the plus side, all games and cartridges parents bought for the Explorer are compatible with the LeapPad.

Keep reading to see how long the laptop entertains a youngster and for more views of the device.

Alyson Hannigan Shares About Life on Set and Her Mommy Must Haves

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 05 May 2011 10:32:47 PDT

How I met Alyson Hannigan? At a StubHub luncheon for her new Mom's Night Out charity initiative where she urged the attendees to forgo the healthy wraps in favor of the tasty chicken fingers. The mama of one, and star of the hit series How I Met Your Mother, was there to talk about the importance of taking a night off from the kids, but it was quickly apparent that she loves spending time with 2-year-old Satyana, joking that the first night she'll spend away from her, "will be when she goes to college!"

While her HIMYM character has recently taken a break from trying to conceive a child, almost everything else in Alyson's life revolves around kids. The actress, who recently signed on to reprise her role as Michele in the fourth installment of the American Pie franchise, answered a few of my questions about work and motherhood.

LilSugar: Congratulations on American Reunion. So what's in store for Michele and Jim this time around?
Alyson Hannigan: They’re parents, they have a kid, so that will be a part of their life obviously – balancing the hecticness of having, I think a 2-year-old (but that could have changed at this point because of casting). I'm hoping it will be really good. I think it will!

LS: Lily seems so maternal. Will we see Lily and Marshall start trying for a baby again this season?
AH: You will definitely get more of that piece of the puzzle in the season finale! You will definitely have to stay tuned.

LS: How I Met Your Mother has become baby central over the past few years! Do you, Cobie Smulders, and Neil Patrick Harris all bring your kids on set?
AH: It’s really good! The majority has kids now, we rule! The baby babies have come by to say hi, but they don’t stay there. And Cobie and I bring our daughters to set – we try to time it out so that they can have playdates – they’re such good friends.

LS: How do you relax if you find 10 minutes for yourself during the day?
AH: I wind up surfing baby sites. It just feels real decadent to be on the computer without shutting it (when Satyana's in the room). We still don’t let her watch TV or play on the screen. So looking at the computer when she’s awake doesn’t really happen because instantly, she’s like, I want to see! If she’s napping, I can open the computer and not look around!

Keep reading to learn what Alyson has planned for Mother's Day and her answers to our four Lil Questions.

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 PST

Soleil Moon Frye Explains Happy Chaos and Reveals Her Girls' Love of Punky Brewster

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:35:21 PDT

Enter Soleil Moon Frey's home and you'd expect to see expertly hung photos and impeccably placed furniture. But according to the actress and mom of two – Poet, 5, Jagger, 3, – that's the furthest thing from reality. The self-proclaimed "messy mom" opened up to me about how her home life inspired the title of her new book and what her girls thing of her time spent as Punky Brewster.

LilSugar: Your upcoming book is called Happy Chaos. Can you define Happy Chaos and what it means to you?
Soleil Moon Frey: It’s the happiness in the chaos. If you go into our home, there are multiple walls that have Sharpie drawings all over them. If you flip our cushions upside down, you’ll find nail polish. If you look at a wall, you’ll find black paint. As the kids are throwing the pancakes up in the air, and they’re throwing the syrup, as they’re tracking paint in the house, it’s all of that chaos and yet they’re the happiest moments of our lives.

LS: Fill in the blanks. You know you're a mother when?
SMF: You walk out of the house with your sweater on inside out and spit-up in your hair.

LS: The best trick my mama taught me is _____?
SMF: To believe in myself. And I could do anything I could set my mind to.

LS: If I could only carry one photo of my children with me, it would be ____?
SMF: That would nearly be impossible! It would be a collage. On my phone I have a collage I made for the girls because I literally couldn’t just pick one. And that is my wallpaper.

LS: I wish someone would have told ____ about motherhood.
SMF: That I would never be perfect.

LS: Have Poet and Jagger seen Punky Brewster? What do they think of it?
SMF: They have caught a few moments here and there; they’ve caught some YouTube. They love it! They really think it’s hysterical. They sit and laugh at me. The other day I had my hair in a ponytail and Poet turned to me and said, "Mom – you look like Punky!"