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.

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.

There's a Doll For That: Teaching Kids About Natural Birth, VBAC, and More

LilSugar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:49:24 PST

If mama ever wants to explain to her lil one how he was born vaginally, while his big sister came out via C-section, there's now a doll for that! Perhaps one of the odder baby products out there MamAmor has just introduced a VBAC doll ($175), complete with a C-section scar and a Velcro opening through which her new lil one can enter the world. The company recommends the doll for tots over the age of three, but mom may want to wait until her tot is a bit older to explain the differences.

The VBAC doll joins a growing collection of anatomically correct toys on the market that help a mom visually explain vaginal birth. From breastfeeding versions to those that also deliver the placenta, here are six birthing dolls for kids.

20s, 30s, or 40s: Which Decade Is Best For Becoming a Mom?

Kate Stahl — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:03:28 PST

Just a couple of weeks after her 25th birthday, Kristin Cavallari announced she and fiancé Jay Cutler are expecting their first baby. Kristin joins fellow twenty-something soon-to-be mama Hilary Duff, who turned 24 last September. While both Kristin and Hilary reflect the national average age for women to become first time moms - it now stands at 25.1 years old - they certainly aren't the norm for celebs, many of whom wait until their 30s before they have a baby. Molly Sims is expecting a honeymoon baby at age 38 with hubby Scott Stuber. Jessica Simpson will welcome her firstborn at age 31, and Beyoncé became mom to Blue Ivy at 30. I had my daughter at 31 and I thought that was the perfect age - young enough to be able to cope with the lack of sleep in the beginning and, later, the high energy of a lil one, but old enough to not have any regrets about missing out on my carefree 20s. So what decade do you think is best for becoming a new mom? Weigh in below!

The Buff Baby Dumbell Rattle: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 03:16:12 PST

You're never too young to start a fitness routine! Mama strove to keep up with her prebaby workout throughout her pregnancy, and now that the lil one's arrived, she's getting him gym-ready from the start!

Fred and Friends Buff Baby Dumbell Rattle ($7) is phthalate- and BPA-free dumbbell for tots - wait, a dumbbell for tots? Not really, it is actually a rattle for lil ones in the shape of dumbbell, making it the perfect gift for your expecting gym buddy or pregnant trainer, because body-building babies are just too cute in pictures.

Lil Links: Is Breastfeeding Linked to Fussy Babies?

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:32:53 PST

Study finds breastfed babies are more fussy - Momformation
Celebrity mamas-to-be are showing up in black sequin maternity dresses - Celebrity Baby Blog
Unforgettable childhood milestones - Real Simple
Parents let son's cancer go untreated - The Stir
Britney Spears's kids are having some hair-raising fun! - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Waiting for baby number two! - FitPregnancy
The seven smartest family cars of the year - Parenting
New moms have sex how often? - The Bump
Do Tiger Moms raise depressed kids? - Yahoo! Shine

Tori Spelling Takes Us on Her Christmas Tree Adventure

Tori Spelling — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:28:58 PST

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her adventure in cutting down her own Christmas tree.

I love the holidays. To me, Christmas is a time to celebrate with my family and DIY the heck out of my house! We all know the Christmas tree is the focal point of any holiday home decor. I've done the pre-cut tree, lot tree, and the planted in a pot living tree, so this year I was determined to do the unthinkable in Los Angeles (or so I thought)...cut down my own Christmas tree!

Growing up in La la land, you tend to believe that trees come perfectly flocked and grouped together, pre-cut on a corner lot in Beverly Hills with a whopping price tag of $150 plus. I wanted out of that illusion, but never thought it was possible. Well, this year I did research and found an actual Christmas tree farm just 40 minutes outside of LA! Dean was participating in a celebrity charity golfing tournament, but the excited kid in me couldn't wait to cut down our tree, so I packed up the kids and headed to the farm.

When we arrived we weren't given much direction. We were told to grab saws . . . a cart . . . and head up the hill!

As we headed up and over the hill into miles of Christmas trees, I might have wondered . . . was this smart?

There were literally miles of trees of all shapes and sizes. So many worked, but none were perfect.

Forty-five minutes later, as the sun was just starting to set and I realized we were all alone amidst hundreds of trees, I thought to myself . . . is this safe? I reassured myself with the realization that no one would, in good conscience, harm a saw-wielding woman and her two toddlers cutting down their own Christmas tree weeks before the holiest day of the year. Then, not at all reassured by that realization, I closed my eyes and quickly pointed to the first tree in front of me and squealed, "Look kids, the perfect tree!" Was it perfect? No. However it did have only one major bald spot, which was a win-win, as it was surrounded by miles of misshaped firs. We had a winner!

Keep reading for more details and photos of Tori's adventure cutting down her own tree!

Best of 2011: The Year's Most Stylish Birthday Parties

Nicole Abbott — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:02:54 PST

Kiddos impatiently wait 365 days to celebrate a birthday - and Mama's going to make sure the wait is totally worth it with a birthday bash to envy! From an Angry Birds-themed party and a Pink Princess birthday to storybook-inspired celebrations, we've featured some pretty stylish kiddie soirees this year!

Click through to see our picks for the 15 most stylish birthday parties of the year.

What's the Strangest Place You Took a Pregnancy Test?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 03:17:32 PST

Sometimes you just can't wait! After buying a home pregnancy test, some hopeful mamas-to-be just can't make it home before peeing on the stick. At a recent event introducing the new easy-to-handle Clearblue Plus Pregnancy Test, maternity concierge and BravoTV reality star Rosie Pope revealed that she discovered her third pregnancy at her oldest son's third birthday party. Saying she just couldn't wait to go home to take the test, she snuck into the bathroom and learned the exciting news.

Most LilSugar readers told us they took their tests at home, but we want to know - pregnant or not - where was the strangest place you took the test?

5 Products to Help Work-at-Home Moms Actually Work at Home

Natasha Dantzig — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:16:31 PST

Work it, girl! Working from home can sound like an ideal setup for a mom; until one actually attempts to say, write an article, or make an important call with an attention-craving toddler trying to destroy any expensive electronics that are getting between him and the park. Working from home has its challenges, but the pros are pretty amazing. The following products will help mama get her work done, and keep her sanity.

A good to-do list is essential for today's multitasking mamas. Remember the Milk ($25) is a top-rated option thanks to its ease of use, and accessibility from multiple devices.
What mom doesn't need an extra hand? Being able to have a (brief) phone conversation while throwing a tennis ball back and forth with an energetic toddler might not be the least stressful option, but at least with a device like the Hands-Free VTech Phone ($100), it is possible to do both.
Most agree that when choosing a work-from-home schedule, it's best to have distinct times for work and times for play. Great goal, but sometimes that one last email can't wait for naptime or the babysitter. A stand-up desk, like this adjustable height Safco model ($237) is not only great for the back, but it will keep curious lil hands at a safe distance from expensive laptops.
Don't underestimate the power of the humble Crock-Pot ($44). The ability to throw dinner fixin's in at noon and not think about it again until 5 p.m. is a major time-saver.
The less paper, the better when it comes to staying organized. Swap Post-its and random scraps of paper for Dry Erase Boards ($44) to keep track of lists and notes.

What's your best tip for working at home with kids?