FitSugar

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: The Mommy-To-Be

BellaSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 14:00:25 PST

Welcome to the first post of my 2007 Holiday Gift Guide! Every weekday, I'll share a new set of ideas for gifts for your mom, dad, sib, boss, pals, special guy in your life and just about anyone else gift-worthy this season.

To kick off the guide, and to support our dear friend LilSugar, let's celebrate the mommies-to-be. Here are three great ideas for pregnant women who are carrying around those little ones. Since two of my best friends are about to become mommies, this was a lot of fun to put together!

My favorite item of the group is this Wonder-Full Balm from Mama Mio ($25). It's great for itchy and flaky belly skin, and it works quickly to relieve dryness and discomfort. If that's not something you think she'd like, there's also this Mustela Stretch Marks Double Action Cream ($34.49), which will help strengthen skin's elasticity around the belly, breasts abdomen, hips, and thighs to help reduce stretch marks during pregnancy.

Lastly, I love this Henna Vegetable Hair Dye ($1.99) for ladies who prefer to err on the side of caution and steer clear of chemical substances during their first trimester. While hair dying chemicals aren't highly toxic, vegetable dyes are all-natural, safe alternatives. Put it in a basket with some hair accessories, and you've got a great gift.

Got a few great ideas of your own? If so, I encourage you to please share them in a comment below!

Mustela Double Action Stretch Mark Cream ($34.99)

Lustrous Henna Pure Henna ($1.99)

Mama Mio Wonder-Full Balm ($25)

Fit Gift Guide: Mommy-to-Be

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 03:30:00 PST

The gift giving holidays are just around the corner and to spare you some of the last minute shopping stress the Sugar sites are creating ever helpful gift guides.

Now, if you happen to be looking for a gift for a mommy-to-be, I have three suggestions for you. Here are three great ways to help a new mommy out by encouraging health and fitness, which we all know can be tough with a newborn in the winter months. Walking is one of the best ways to entertain a new baby (or get it to sleep) and for a new mom to get some exercise. She can take care of her back with the Ergo Carrier or she can track her miles strolled with the Strollometer. Plus as the baby gets ready to eat solids, it is so satisfying and easy to make your own baby food, and the book 100 Baby Purées leads the way!

ERGObaby Carrier ($92)

Strollometer Stroller Speedometer/Odometer ($40)

Top 100 Baby Purees ($15)

If you are looking for more baby advice, check out lilSugar – Mommy's little helper.

Mommy Milestones: Accomplishments Women Should Celebrate

LilSugar — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:55:58 PDT

Mother's Day is just around the corner! Mothers fawn over their children's accomplishments, but the proud parent often forgets to pat herself on the back for getting through a certain phase of life. And, many of those big moments lead to a bit more independence for the tot and freedom for mom! Women throw themselves into raising their offspring so when dramatic transitions occur, they should celebrate. Check out our list of amazing milestones that all mamas of young children should honor!

Lil Links: Are You Swaddling Your Baby Properly? Here's How to Do It!

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:32:00 PDT

How to create the safest swaddle for your tots - FitPregnancy
Tom Cruise always wanted to be a father and husband - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Would you give back your adopted baby if you found out she was a kidnapping victim? - The Stir
Melissa Joan Hart is finding this pregnancy exhausting - Celebrity Baby Blog
Tricks to try on your picky eater - Parenting
Is it OK to have two baby showers like Kourtney Kardashian did? - The Bump
5 lies you hear about parents of kids with food allergies - BabyCenter Blog
Are you ready to stop worrying? - Circle of Moms
Raising kids costs 25 percent more than ever before - LearnVest
The 5 stages of stay-at-home fatherhood - HuffPost Parents
Poolside mommy must-haves - Momtastic

Source: Flickr User Robert Scoble

Link Time - Mother's Day Gifts Inspired by Mommie Dearest

TresSugar — Thu, 05 May 2011 15:50:00 PDT

Mommie Dearest-inspired Mother's Day gift guide - The Frisky
Now you can make out with your long-distance BF via the computer! - Nerve
How to have a great one-night stand - College Candy
A victim of relationship violence tells her story - Glamour
Sex survey finds Americans know more than they think - YourTango
Post-sex etiquette lessons - Em & Lo
What are menstrual cups, and are they for you? - The Hairpin
Tips for having a healthy bachelorette party - FitSugar

In The Mommy Diet, Alison Sweeney Offers Fitness Tips For Every Level

Leta Shy — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 00:51:25 PDT

Between the encouragement among the contestants and the life-changing before-and-after shots that flash on the screen, there's a reason why The Biggest Loser gets your emotions going. The show is a positive, supportive look at the struggles people face with diet and exercise.

The new book by the show's host Alison Sweeney, The Mommy Diet ($14), is no different - it's chock-full of support and encouragement. The easy read is divided into stages of motherhood, from prepregnancy (such as foods to eat when you are trying to get pregnant) to the life of a busy mom. The actress weighs in on different aspects of pregnancy and postpregnancy body and mind, including fitness, diet, fashion, and romance tips.

Of course, exercise is a big part of her month-by-month plans, and Alison offers useful tips even if you aren't a new mom. If you're looking for advice on how to ramp up or kick-start a workout routine, you may find this book helpful. The actress recommends the old standards - making sure you are active every day, switching out high-fat diets for natural, whole foods, and elimination diets - to help start any regimen, and also offers exercises (fully explained and with some illustrations) and sample meal plans for people at every level of fitness.

But even if you are an old pro, the working mom and fitness fanatic has a few maintenance tips for you as well. Check out a few of her tips after the break!

Lil Links: Is Your Baby's Name One of the Top Names of 2011?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:32:56 PDT

The top 100 baby names of 2011 has a big surprise at number two - Circle of Moms
Jessica Alba says having babies helped her embrace her sexuality - Celebrity Baby Scoop
This 6-year-old's response to his father's homecoming is a miracle - The Stir
Check out Monroe and Moroccan Cannon's first birthday photo - Celebrity Baby Blog
What your contractions really mean - FitPregnancy
Sixteen early signs of pregnancy - Parenting
Are your baby's bottles, binkies, and sippy cups safe? - The Bump
Is 24-hour day care are replacement for family help? - BabyCenter Blog
How much do you know about kids' favorite condiment? - Yahoo! Shine
More women are paying alimony as gender roles shift - LearnVest
There's only one mommy war worth fighting - HuffPost Parents

The Time Cover Mom Speaks Out: Does Hearing Her Side Change Your Opinion?

Lisa Horten — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:01:27 PDT

This morning, Time magazine's cover mom went on the Today show to share her views on attachment parenting and explain the story behind the cover photo. She was joined by her 3-year-old son, Aram, Dr. Sears, and Time's science editor, Jeffrey Kluger.

"I understand some of the breastfeeding advocates are upset about this," 26-year-old Jamie Grumet said. "[The cover image] doesn't show the nurturing side to attachment parenting . . . I understand what they're saying, but I do understand why Time chose this picture. It's created a real media craze to get the dialogue going."

"You need to do what's best for your baby and for your own family," Grumet continued. "You can take some of Dr. Sears's attachment parenting philosophies and maybe not others, and that's OK; you're not a bad parent. Your child will still be OK."

Does seeing the young mother speak about her reasons for practicing attachment parenting (her own mom breastfed her until age 6) change your opinion of the magazine cover?

Does This Week's TIME Cover Glorify Attachment Parenting?

Lisa Horten — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:21:22 PDT

This week's Time cover story, which hits newsstands tomorrow, takes a closer look at the practice of attachment parenting, discussing Dr. Sears's
The Baby Book, and profiling four mothers from across the country who embrace the philosophy - all for different reasons.

The magazine's cover image of LA mom Jamie Lynne Grumet breastfeeding her 3-year-old son (paired with the tagline, "Are You Mom Enough?") has stirred up a fair amount of controversy amongst moms, who have yet to read the story. "When you think of breastfeeding, you think of mothers holding their children, which was impossible with some of these older kids," said photographer Martin Schoeller. "I liked the idea of having the kids standing up to underline the point that this was an uncommon situation."

What's your reaction to the cover as a whole? Does it glorify attachment parenting, make moms feel judged, or offer an accurate portrayal of the practice in action?

What to TiVo: Friday

Maggie Pehanick — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:59:00 PDT

8:00 Shark Tank (new)
9:00 Primetime: What Would You Do (new)
10:00 20/20 (new)
11:35 Nightline (new)
12:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live (repeat, with guest Scarlett Johansson)

8:00 Undercover Boss (new)
9:00 CSI: NY (new, season finale)
10:00 Blue Bloods (new, season finale)
11:35 Late Show With David Letterman (new, with guest Jon Cryer)
12:37 The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson (new, with guests Larry King and Anna Chlumsky)

8:00 The Finder (new, season finale)
9:00 Fringe (new, season finale)

8:00 Who Do You Think You Are? (new)
9:00 Grimm (new)
10:00 Dateline NBC (new)
11:34 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (new, with guest Jenna Fischer and Jay Mohr)
12:37 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (new, with guests Steven Colbert and Nick Cannon)

8:00 Nikita (new)
9:00 Supernatural (new)