GoodyBlog

GoodyGossip: Twins for Brad and Angelina

All the way back in January we told you that Angelina Jolie was not only pregnant, but quite possibly carrying twins.

Today the gossip blogs are afire about Angelina's confirmation, in an interview with Today, that she is indeed expecting twins. (Not that we're saying we told you so, but we told you so. ;))

Angie is busy promoting the family-friendly film Kung Fu Panda (out June 6) and her action flick Wanted (out June 27--that's a screencap from the film on the right), trying to tie up her publicity duties before she and her brood (as it is rumored) go abroad to await the arrival of the babies.

Like J. Lo, the talk is that Angelina and Brad are expecting a boy and a girl.

There must be something in the water out there in Hollywood.

Helping Moms Make Connections

One of the most rewarding aspects of working at Parents is when we are reminded that the stories we do make such a difference in people's lives.  Here's an example I just learned about today:  In February, we ran a photo essay about an adorable little boy, Liam Witt (pictured here), who was being treated for nueroblastoma, a horrendous type of childhood cancer. We called our piece Prince Liam the Brave, which is what his mom calls him because of the resilience he's shown through this whole ordeal.  One of our Canadian readers, Marie-Ève LaForte, whose own son, LP. had spent some time in a hospital, was so moved by the photos that she sent Liam a "Little Prince" book and backpack. And she made a contribution to Band of Parents, an organization that Liam's mom and dad have set up to raise money for nueroblastoma research. (Marie-Ève, a mommy blogger, details the story on her blog.)  Gretchen Holt, Liam's mom, was so touched by the stranger's generousity that she wrote about it on her blog.  And better yet, she invited Marie-Ève and LP to help celebrate Liam's fourth birthday in Central Park next month. "We feel incredibly honored that they thought about including us in their celebration, and even an earthquake could not prevent us from making it there," Marie-Ève wrote.  There sure is cause to celebrate: Liam is cancer free and a wonderful friendship has been formed!  We're so proud of our role in this story.

Be in Parents: Ever Disciplined Someone Else’s Kid?

It’s prime playground season and overly-excited kids will always end up getting out of hand at some point—including the ones that don’t belong to you. Ever been in a situation where your kid's playmate misbehaved in your presence? Maybe he wouldn’t give your child’s toy back, maybe she teamed up with your kid for a sufficiently dangerous wrestling match, or maybe he simply forgot to say, “please.” Whatever the situation, big or small, we want to know how you handled it—when did you say something, and when did you keep quiet? Post your story in the comments and it might end up in Parents!

Photo via.

Little Mermaids

With summertime, comes summer gear. And that includes all the super- fun beach and pool paraphernalia. 

Check out this adorable Mermaid Swim Fin—it holds both feet in one flipper, and of course it's pink (or purple, whichever you prefer). The fin has a velcro strap that fits shoe sizes 1-7, so moms, I'm sorry to say that it probably won't fit you.

Ariel, is that you?

Plug of the Week: Trident Xtra Care Gum

I’m not big into gum, mostly because it only tastes good for a few seconds after I start chewing. After that, I might as well be chomping on Silly Putty. Still, when a pack of Trident’s new Xtra Care gum arrived in the mail one day, I figured I’d give it a shot. The selling point is that it contains Recaldent, a form of calcium derived from milk that supposedly strengthens tooth enamel. I’ll let my dentist be the judge of that, but I’d chew it just for the flavor—it lasts way much longer than any gum I’ve ever tried.  Seriously, I was stunned. If anything can break my raging addiction to Altoids, this is it.

Nick Tunes

Last week, I blogged about the new line of CDs from a series that turns hit songs into lullabies. Now Nickelodeon is getting in on the act. The popular kids' network just released Sleepytime Lullabies, which uses a full string ensemble to sooth your little Dora fan off to dreamland. The CD features instrumental versions of some songs made famous by the likes of The Beatles, The Mamas & the Papas, and James Taylor. Bonus: It also includes “One Magic Kiss,” an exclusive track recorded by Brandi Carlile.

Put Nighttime Battles to Rest

This cute, clever pillow set could be the perfect way to stop the "It's YOUR turn!" fights between you and your husband in the middle of the night (found via Ohdeedoh). Simply flip the pillows every night to remember who's "On Duty," and you won't have to argue about who gets the baby bottle or who has to check under the bed for monsters.

Free Tennis, Anyone?

Live in the NYC area? Wish your kids were more active? Don't want to spend a fortune on sports classes? The New York Junior Tennis League has an answer for you. They're currently giving FREE tennis lessons for kids ages 6-18, where trained coaches provide instruction, practice and play for all levels. And parents don't have to worry about going out and buying gear that's doomed to spend a lifetime in the garage once lessons are over- loaner tennis racquets and balls are available. If you can't make the spring sessions, then check out their summer classes.

What free athletic programs does your family take advantage of?

Springtime Ice Cream Flower Pots

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is one of my favorite food blogs. Ree, the hostess of the joint, is the unpretentious master chef for her rancher husband and her hungry kids. Her site is, coincidently, the home of my favorite guilty pleasure sandwich. Just the thought of that sandwich makes my lizard brain revert back to Neanderthal times. Grrrrrrrr. ME HUNGRY!

This month, she came up with the feminine foil to those manly steak sandwiches: Springy Flower Pot Desserts. No, that ain't dirt—that's Oreo deliciousness. And under that chocolatey soil lays layers of ice cream and pound cake.

It's an elegant-looking dessert, but it's very simple to put together. It's the perfect dessert for a daughter's spring-time birthday party. (And at the very least, this recipe has to be better than Ree's Ethyl Merman impersonation.)

Cool Way to Create a Keepsake

Check out this awesome piece of personalized artwork from Sticks and Stones. Visit their site and choose from the library of letters to spell out a word or name and they'll mail you a matted and framed keepsake - a one of a kind gift for sure! (Fun Fact: All the photos were taken by the company's founders and their three young daughters when they started an ongoing project to find letters in nature and architecture.) So cool!

Wii Had So Much Fun

I spent the weekend with my niece and nephew in Chicago, and in just 72 hours I developed a severe and troubling addiction to Wii. I know I'm kind of a latecomer to the whole thing, but hello....is this the funnest game ever or what? I especially got into bowling, which I stink at in real life but which I am killer at on screen. So here's my question: How many of you moms out there secretly practice Wii when your kids are napping or at school?

Planet-Friendly Diaper Bag

I don't have any need for a diaper bag right now, but this pretty minimalist one from Fleurville is making wish I did. And I don't love it just for its looks—it's also kind to the planet. That's because the fabric is actually made out of recycled plastic water bottles. This style prevents 10 of them from ending up in a landfill, where they take 1,000 years to break down (yikes). Recycling never looked so good!

May Flowers

   

If you haven't yet discovered Kids Craft Weekly, then it's time. Amber Carvan, Australian mom of 2, offers up really accessible, adorable, and kid-friendly craft ideas. You can sign up for her themed newsletters that will give you fantastic ideas for rainy day crafts, birthday party crafts, and  educational crafts.

The most recent edition is about flowers—you can get complete instructions for these precious blooms and step by step photo-illustrations on her site. Kids Craft Weekly is the perfect remedy for the "I'm bored" weekend mantra!

Your Kid on the Cover of Parents!

We're looking for the cutest kid in America to put on the cover of Parents! This is huge: Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell everyone! We want to find the most adorable kids out there and we know you've got 'em.

Just click here to upload a photo of your child before June 24 and your kid could be chosen as one of five finalists to be flown to New York City with a guardian and professionally photographed. The most gorgeous kid of all will be on our November 2008 cover!

Mommy Makeover Starring GoodyBlog Reader Johanna

We gave a fabulous Body Shop mommy makeover to GoodyBlog reader (and mom to adorable Ari), Johanna. Body Shop makeup artist Theresa used their brand-new summer trends collection to give Johanna a hot momma look—and she scored a gift bag filled with products to DIY! Watch her transformation:

Check out the full list of products we used for Johanna’s hot mama makeover after the jump.

And the Mother's Day Winners Are...

The response for our Mother's Day Blog Party was huge! We're so excited to announce the winners (we're condensing the list this time since there are so many). As a super-huge added bonus, the winners also get a chance to nominate their favorite charity that benefits women and families to receive a $500 donation from us! We'll announce the charity that will get the donation next Monday, so stay tuned. Now, onto the winners:

• Katie Brown Gardening Set: Kate Etue
• DVDs and Popcorn: Tricia McCammack
• Williams-Sonoma Breakfast Set: Ashley BB
• Sony Laptop from Intel: Kim Buck
• Shop.com $500 Gift Card: Chelsea
• Charmed by Coco Crayon $300 Gift Card: Linda Ellis
• Blurb.com $100 Gift Cards: anna, margaret herrin, Sherry, Tiffany, melissa warren
• Gramicci.com $200 Gift Card: Michelle
• RedStamp.com stationery: trish everetts
• Promom Couture Tees: Harry Barbee, Marcia, Richelle F., Laura R., Susanne Troop, Tracy, Debbie, Jan, Alison, Adrienne Gordon, Deanna, Kelli, Marissa, Beverly M, jeanette malan, Jennifer, Hallie, Anthony Hedden, Kathie L, Amy, lorraine, Heather W, Ashley C.   

Congrats, moms! And if you didn't win, don't worry—we have an equally huge Father's Day Blog Party coming up that you won't want to miss!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

It's finally here! An entire day devoted to Moms! Woo Hoo! We want to thank you for making the Mother's Day Blog Party a huge success. Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see if you've won one our our great prizes. In the meantime, sit back, relax, and make let your family spoil you–you deserve it!

xoxo,

The editors of GoodyBlog

Good Deed Friday: Fight Hunger

Here's two ways you can fight hunger: First, tomorrow (Saturday May 10, 2008), the US Postal Service is sponsoring a Stamp Out Hunger food drive and it's ridiculously easy to participate. All you have to do is leave a bag of non-perishable food next to your mailbox, and your mailman will do all the heavy-lifting and transporting for you (found via YumSugar). Easy as canned pie! Second, pick up one of these really cool THIS SHIRT SAVED A LIFE tees and Tiny Revolutionary will donate $20.00 to Africa Aid, an organization that provides a nutritious daily lunch to 213 refugee children in the Buduburam Liberian Refugee Settlement in Ghana. The t-shirts come in baby, toddler, and adult sizes, so you can buy one for everyone in the family and fight hunger and spread awareness together.

Mother's Day Giveaways: Last Day to Enter

Today's your last day to enter our seriously amazing Mother's Day giveaways, so make sure you click here and leave a comment for the stuff you want (um, all of it right?) by 9 p.m. Goody Luck!

Spankin' New Headlines

When should you have babies? The widening gap between culture and biology. NPR

Some schools are implementing single-sex classes to help boys catch up. Boston Globe
 
Is your child addicted to video games? U.S. News & World Report

An Arkansas woman, Michelle Duggar, is pregnant with her 18th child! (She wrote an article for us back when she had only 14…) Yahoo! News

Facebook is making changes to protect its younger users. New York Times

Original photo via

Hiking Through the New York Subway System With an Alien

The June issue of Parents will be hitting the newsstands soon. And when you go and get a copy (you know want to), you'll see my wife and I, along with our pre-born child. (You'll also see an awful picture of our "office" before we started converting it into a nursery.)

When I told my family that we were going to be featured in Sally's editor's letter, they said that they wanted a copy. And then, they knew "someone" who needed a copy. And by the time they were done, I was given an order of approximately 25 copies. Well, the office copies are in, so it was time to deliver.

As it stands now, I use a hefty-sized backpack in order to get to and from work daily, which contains gym clothes, books, food containers, etc. I live in New Jersey, and mass transit is the only way to go. There was no way I was going to fit them in with everything else, and I didn't want to lug an additional two bags by hand.

Thankfully, I was given the perfect piece of equipment to test out: the Sherpani Rumba Superlight Baby Carrier. This was the perfect initial opportunity to try it out , as our daughter will be too small for a while to use it IRL.

More info about this awesome pack, along with my adventure underground can be found after the jump:

 

Friday Night Movies

This Week's Big-Screen Goody:

La, la, la...Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer, go! I wasn't a huge fan of the show growing up, but I still remember the theme song to this day because it was one of the few cartoons my older bully brother would let me watch. Truth be told, he was more into it than I ever was. Boys and their cars–I still don't get it. Now he has an 11-year-old son he can use as his excuse to see the new live-action version of Speed Racer (rated PG) out today. Personally, I still feel the theme song was the best part of the show. Come to think of it–lots of cartoons from the '80s and early '90s had really rocking openers. Special shout-out goes to ThunderCats. What was your favorite?

 

This Week's DVD Goody:

The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin: Mysteries of Hard to Find City

Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3 Fire, Vol. 3

Barney: Hi! I'm Riff!

Doodlebops: Live in Concert 

Madeline: Next Stop, America

The Secret of the Sword
   
Speed Racer the Next Generation: The Beginning
 
Thomas & Friends: Mud Glorious Mud
   
Veggie Tales: Lessons from the Sock Drawer
            
           

TMI! Documentary of the Week
The Business of Being Born

 

The Put-Your-Kids-to-Bed-First Pick of the Week:
I'm Not There

 

Cute Throw Pillows for Kids

What do you get when modern kids décor meets function? A totally cool reversible throw pillow, that's what! These brand new designs from Boodalee could just be the answer to bedding boredom. Tired of the robot motif? Just flip the pillow over for a fresh look. Check out all of the styles here.

A Gold-Medal Lip Gloss

Yves Saint Laurent Golden Gloss has been my go-to gloss for over a year now. Let me count the reasons. First, I always get compliments when I wear it. This past weekend in fact, my friend asked if she could put some on when we were at another friend's bridal shower. Second, the gloss is infused with—get this—real gold. .2 percent of 24 carats to be exact. Those little gold flecks give lips a fullness and a certain...je ne sais quoi I just haven't found with other glosses. At $28 it's definitely a splurge, but trust me, the compliments that will ensue make it worth every penny. It's available in 13 shades. Golden Peony (#10) is my personal fave.

Mother's Day Is Sweet

On Mother's Day TCBY is giving away a free cup or cone of frozen yogurt to all moms, so make sure to stop by and get your free tasty treat to celebrate yet another great year of motherhood.