LilSugar

Babysugar's Got a Bun in the Oven!

babysugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:00:23 PDT

If you've been paying close attention to babysugar's posts lately, you may have noticed I've been writing about maternity clothes and second pregnancies. Selfishly, I've been writing about subjects near and dear to my heart as I'm expecting baby number two!

I'll be keeping you abreast of all my changes in my series -The Babysugar Diaries. If you're pregnant or just want to share your pregnancy stories, sign up for Mamas in Waiting where we can dish on all things related to pregnancy.

Buzz Blabber: More Delena, Please

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:05:14 PDT

With a series premiere, a hotly anticipated makeout session, and a super creepy viral video all hitting the airwaves this week, it seems like everybody had something to say. BuzzSugar readers were all about Damon and Elena's passionate kiss (if only there were more!) while another sexy gent, Michael Fassbender, infiltrated our desktops in a viral video for Prometheus. Take a look to see what you said about these hot topics and the first episode of Girls!

You're all for the big kiss on The Vampire Diaries

"Just finished watching the episode, and everything else seems so insignificant compared to that makeout session! I just knew it from the moment they held hands in the bed, so much sexual tension. If only Jeremy wasn't there or hadn't interrupted, I wondered what would have happened." - nessa17
"Great episode. Great kiss. Finally! I can't choose between Damon and Stefan either. I'd love to see Elena stay with Damon, but I also miss the good ol' Elena and Stefan days when they were making out everywhere, and they seemed so happy. Can't wait until next week when Elena has to tell Stefan about her trip. And, I'm scared for the finale. I know it's going to be an excruciating cliffhanger." - likethedirection
"Great episode. The kiss kept me shaking for a while. Delena forever and Mama Original is mean and scary. Rose is Delena's angel." - LucyWithDiamonds

See what else you chattered about after the jump.

Why We're Crushing on The Conversation's Amanda de Cadenet

Tara Block — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:55:00 PDT

You may not know British TV personality and photographer Amanda de Cadenet yet, but we promise you she's someone you'd want to sit down and have a chat with. Which is exactly what she's doing with a plethora of high-profile women (many of whom are her friends) for her new show The Conversation With Amanda de Cadenet. Coproduced by Demi Moore and Amanda, The Conversation is a new Lifetime series premiering April 26 that features intimate, one-on-one interviews between Amanda and various female celebrities, politicians, and musicians on the issues women care about. It's also sprinkled with "real" women on the street answering similar questions.

This week we were lucky enough to chat with Amanda over the phone, and we can't wait to share her musings on her personal relationships and life challenges, her thoughts on hot topics like Fifty Shades of Grey, and what it was like interviewing some of today's most famous and influential women on the tough topics we all can relate to. But first off, who is Amanda de Cadenet and what makes her so cool? Here are six things to know:

Cool runs in the family. Her mom was a model and her dad is a race car driver.
She's a motorcycle mama! Her dad taught her how to ride when she was only 6 years old, and her favored mode of transportation today is her Ducati.
At only 14, she became the host of two TV shows in the UK: The Word and Breakfast.
After her TV gigs, she decided photography was her passion, and she became the youngest woman to shoot a Vogue cover. She's also shot for magazines like Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair, in addition to ad campaigns for Converse, Roxy, and Absolut.
She's got a thing for rockers! Her first husband was Duran Duran bassist John Taylor, and her current hubby is Strokes guitarist Nick Valensi.
The 39-year-old mom has 5-year-old twins with Nick and a 19-year-old daughter from her first marriage.

With many of these intimate discussions taking place on the couch in her own LA home, Amanda isn't afraid to get real about everything from sex positions to body image with such stars as Jane Fonda, Zoe Saldana, Sarah Silverman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Eva Longoria, Gabby Sidibe, and many more. And Amanda is proud of her ladies, telling us that they all make great role models. She said, "They're kind women. They're very compassionate. They're very down-to-earth, and they are truly women's women. You know how people say, 'She's not a women's woman'? These woman are."

Stay tuned for more of our interview with Amanda, and check out a preview of The Conversation below!

Photo courtesy of A&E Television Networks LLC

What's It Going to Be: Gender Reveal Parties Announce Baby's Sex

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 13:56:44 PDT

It's not all about the 20-week ultrasound anymore! More and more parents are planning gender reveal parties to find out their baby's sex and share the excitement with family and friends. While some mamas-to-be wait until the child debuts to find out if they should buy pink or blue, others embrace the excuse to party before delivery!

Some moms and dads have the ultrasound technician write the child's sex on a slip of paper that is placed in an envelope. It's then dropped off at a bakery where a cake is baked in the appropriate color and iced to hide the news. When the parents-to-be cut into the sweet treat, they learn about their future offspring. The idea gained national attention when Josh and Anna Duggar cut into a pink cake on the Today show to learn that they were having a girl a few years ago. The concept is gaining momentum as more couples opt to hold soirees to celebrate their impending offspring. Check out these cakes that families have used to announce the sugary-sweet news.

Source: Grey Grey Designs

LilSugar's Must Haves For April

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 06:46:26 PDT

It's raining, it's pouring, but that's not going to get mama down this month! Along with April showers this month comes opening day at ballparks across the country, the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, and the release of a new board book by tot lit favorite Sandra Boynton. Check out our must-have items for moms and tots patiently waiting for May's flowers to bloom!

Jessica Alba Dishes About Her Mommy Must Have and Details of Her New Book!

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:32:19 PDT

Just call her supermama. As if having a baby and launching The Honest Company weren't enough to do in one year, Jessica Alba recently announced plans to write her first book, too. The actress and mother of two - Honor, 3, and Haven, 7 months - hopes to share some of the tips and tricks she's learned about motherhood, as well as her methods for creating an eco-friendly and toxin-free environment in her home, with other modern moms who are busy trying to juggle it all.

I spoke with Jessica about her version of healthy living, why we always spot her wearing scarves, and the best trick her own mama taught her about motherhood.

On her forthcoming book about honest living:
"It's what I've learned along the way through trial and error - things that are actually attainable and applicable to me and to my life. I'm not growing organic vegetables at my house and picking them and feeding [them to] my family. I'm a working mom, so for me, it was easier to use disposable diapers. I do the best I can. I make my kids organic food, but I'm not the extreme. I think a lot of people probably fall more in the category where I fall - we want the best for our families, but sometimes we feel like it's too hard and it's too unattainable to go all the way and grow a garden and do that. So where's the happy medium? The book's going to be a very simple handbook on little things you can do that add up and make a big difference."

On sharing new mom tips:
"From room decor to making meals for the week to simple beauty recipes that my grandmother passed down to me made from things that are in your pantry . . . through trial and error, I've figured a few things out, and I'm sure other people have to. So [I'm] putting them together in a very simple, easy-to-read, colorful book. I also want it to be if you only have 10 minutes, you can walk away with something. It's like, what do you pack in your diaper bag that's easy - do you even have a diaper bag? Maybe you just carry a large purse. Maybe you use your purse instead of buying 50 different diaper bags knowing that your purse will probably go better with your outfits. So how do you pick a diaper bag that's neutral and will go with everything? And what do you really need in that diaper bag? In the beginning, I was stuffing my child's entire nursery into the diaper bag and breaking my neck and was like, 'Oh, wait, I forgot my wallet. What's going on?'"

On wearing scarves:
"I wear scarves, mostly because it's an accessory that can dress up an outfit, so you're not just wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. But it's also because if my baby has an accident - and I'm holding the baby - I can cover that accident up! So I'm not walking around with a big puke stain or poo stain on my shirt! Knowing that I don't have time to go home and change, and really, I don't have the space, time, or capacity to pick out five different changes of outfits for my car - it's enough to remember my baby's change of clothes. I have funny little stories about how I learned that lesson [in the book]."

Keep reading for Jessica's thoughts on letting Honor play with the iPad, Jessica Simpson's baby shower, and the importance of the mom community.

Mad Men's 5 Maddest Moments: Season Premiere "A Little Kiss"

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:44:39 PDT

Mad Men is finally back this week, and we've jumped about a year forward with the two-hour season five opener. It's a new year, and there are new secretaries, new accounts, and new adjustments in the personal lives of the denizens of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. It's the brink of Summer and Don's 40th birthday, and where SCDP was scrambling after losing Lucky Strike at the end of last season, business seems pretty stable now, but as usual, there's still discord within the ranks of the company.

Between bean ballets, French dance numbers, and the party, there's a surprising amount of lightness this week (and an unusual amount of jokes for Mad Men). The episode serves mostly to catch us up with the characters after a year rather than lots of plot development, but there are plenty of mad moments to go over. To see them, keep reading.

Upspring Baby Aqua Scale: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding Me?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:42:08 PDT

For new moms, one sure way of knowing that their lil one is growing is monthly weigh-ins at the doctor's office. But waiting for the next doctor's appointment can feel like years for an anxious mama. While some of us use the old "weigh yourself holding your tot and then by yourself" method for a general sense of how she's growing, a new product may replace those inaccurate measurements.

The Aqua Scale ($70) is a 3-in-1 baby tub, combining lil one's bath with a scale and thermometer to keep tots safe. A large LCD display shows the baby's weight (to the ounce), as well as the water temperature while the lil tyke is comfortable in a full tub. But is it all necessary? Weigh in below!

7 Secrets to Dining Out With Kids

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:56:33 PDT

Before kids, you may have been the restaurant patron that slyly gave the stink eye to the neighboring table full of rowdy kids and parents who seemed oblivious to their lil one's behavior. But now that you're the one looking to dine somewhere that doesn't require mama to serve or clear the food, how do you avoid becoming "that family"?

While it starts with discipline and manners at home, there are some tricks that experienced mamas have up their sleeves:

Preview the Menu: These days, most restaurants have their menus online. Before heading to the restaurant, preview the menu and have a few options picked out for both you and the kids. This will eliminate any indecision that could delay ordering once the waitstaff arrive at your table.
Have an Ordering Strategy: For some families, ordering the kids' food as soon they sit down works - it means the lil ones can start eating while the parents review the menu (see above) or have their appetizers. We've found this to backfire in our family, as our tots then finish their meals before we ever start and let's just say they don't enjoy patiently waiting for us to finish up! For us, ordering an appetizer the whole family can enjoy as soon as we sit down is the way to go! Know what works for your family and stick to it!
Know Your Exit Strategy: If your lil one just won't stay in her chair, or if whining and crying start up, know which parent will be taking her outside until she calms down. Nothing's worse than two parents arguing about who will take their unruly tot out for a spell.

Keep reading for the rest of the tips!

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.