BuzzSugar

When Do You Turn Off the Baby Monitor For Good?

BabyCenter — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:32:46 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 Kristina Sauerwein about outgrowing the baby monitor.

My friend posed this question on Facebook: “At what age did you detach yourself from the monitor with your child?” She was wondering if she should get rid of the baby monitor for her 4-year-old son who “sleeps with his door open…(and has been) talking/yelling in his sleep soooo much lately, (she) was up almost hourly to check on him.”

I left a comment telling her to retire the baby monitor. Honestly, I never really used our baby monitor much. My husband and I slept upstairs on the same floor as our kids, and I am the type of sleeper who would wake up if one of my baby’s coughed loudly. A monitor by my bedside would have revved my mind and kept me awake. Every little stir would have me evaluating my baby’s well-being and I would spiraled into an motherhood-OCD-worrywart hell.

Besides, as one mom said in my friend’s Facebook comments, if a baby’s stirs or cries are important enough, you’ll know.

That said, we did place a baby monitor in our basement since our baby slept two floors up. But even then, I could hear important cries sans monitor.

As for a video monitor, that would’ve wired me to no end so I never bothered. My friend said she used to watch it so obsessively, her dreams would be about her baby on the video monitor. Another friend said she watched the video monitor until she noticed her toddler boy could only get to sleep if he played with his private part and she just didn’t want to know that.

I will say there are two things I liked about the auditory baby monitor:

Once my husband and I heard another couple in our so-called perfect town fighting about stupid things such as his overgrown nose hairs and her annoying food-chomping habits. We had no idea who these people were so it was rather amusing and we took it as free entertainment. I know, it was immature and bad of us but it was a train-wreck-we-had-to-watch moment.
I never did this but I always wanted to turn the baby monitor on when my husband and his friends played cards, drank beer and watched back-to-back football games. After all the guys left, I’d ask my husband what they all talked about and he’d say “nothing.” Nothing? For six hours? I don’t buy it and so I always threatened to eavesdrop via baby monitor. My husband said all I’d hear is a lot of gas passing.

So tell me: Did you use a baby monitor? What kind? When did you ditch it? Did you ever eavesdrop on anyone or have any funny baby-monitor mishaps?

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
3 simple holiday cookies to make with your kids
Do you force your baby to nap?
Does working make you a better mom?
9 Hanukkah crafts for kids
Kids birthday parties at home: Yay or Nay?

Source: Flickr User kona99

Buzz Blabber: The Snow White and the Huntsman Trailer Is the Fiercest of Them All

BuzzSugar — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 03:05:20 PST

This week brought the arrival of a few exciting trailers, but nothing was more well received than the debut of Snow White and the Huntsman, featuring Kristen Stewart as a fairy-tale character in peril. You guys had a lot to say about that, and you sounded off on TV as well, like the most recent episode of Glee and why you're watching the new series New Girl. Check out the comments of the week!

The trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman impresses

"This looks so good. I knew Charlize would make a chilling evil queen and Kristen is just so gorgeous." - popculture whore
"The trailer looks amazing. Kristen looks beautiful and Charlize is fantastic. Chris is so handsome. Can't wait." - yellowColor
"I'm really excited about this movie now! The trailer looks great and I think that it's going to be the best one of all the Snow White movies." - ilanac13

Read the the other comments on hot topics after the jump.

Gerard Butler Says Shooting Machine Gun Preacher Made Him Feel Like He Had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:13:32 PDT

Gerard Butler stars in this week's new release Machine Gun Preacher as Sam Childers, a man who left a life of crime and drug addiction to devote himself to his children who'd been affected by the violent attacks of the Lord's Resistance Army in the Sudan. Butler, who also serves as executive producer, and his costar Michelle Monaghan, who plays Sam's wife Lynn, chatted with us during a recent press day in San Francisco. They talked about what it was like portraying real people, how Butler prepared for the role, and the difficulties he endured while filming some of the more disturbing scenes in Africa.

Did you know about Sam's story, and what did you think of the title when you heard it?
Gerard Butler: It was my agent who'd heard about it for a long time, and he loved it, was very passionate about it for a long time. He pitched the story to me, so I immediately connected Machine Gun Preacher with a guy who fought for children in the Sudan. I like the [title] Machine Gun Preacher, I think it's very catchy, but I think that it allows the movie to reveal the far deeper, interesting, more complex story. And yet to let people know that it's a crazy ass movie at the same time. He's a crazy ass guy, a hell of a powerful adventurer as well. I didn't know about it before, and [then] I wanted everyone to know about it.

Michelle Monaghan: I mean obviously, I got the script and saw Machine Gun Preacher, and I was intrigued - come on! I was completely inspired when I'd read it. This is definitely a project I wanted to be a part of, and certainly knowing that Gerry was on board to tell his story, as was Marc Forster, only cemented the idea of being a part of it even more.

To find out what else Butler and Monaghan had to say, like how hard it was shooting the violent scenes, just keep reading.

Group Therapy: Are My Fiancé and His Sister Too Close?

Tres Community — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:05:00 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I feel like I'm overreacting, but I have a very creepy vibe about my fiancé and his sister. He is 26. She is 25. They know very personal stuff about each other - have conversations about people they have slept with . . . They text each other often and always say "I love you." On the phone, they are super cheesy. They will say to each other seriously, "I love you, brother" (my sister and I will say "I love you, sister!" jokingly). I realized early in our relationship that he pretty much kisses his sister's ass. Everything revolves around her. And he said, "When we were little, I was teasing her, and our dad punched me."

Once I brought it up to him that his sister talks to him like he's her boyfriend, he said, "Yeah she probably has a crush on me." Dead serious. Not grossed out or anything. Shortly after we started dating, he was on the phone with her, and she was CRYING, "Why is everything about HER?!" like literally crying because her brother had a girlfriend. He said, "Because I love her and am trying to build a future with her." I was embarrassed for his sister. It was not like some 10-year-old crying because she misses her older brother. His parents and sister still live where he grew up, but my fiancé moved about 10 hours away from them three years ago. I posted pictures on Facebook of a trip we took, and his sister commented on one of them, "You're wearing the hat I got you. Good boy."

He and I got matching tattoos of our lucky number a few months ago. He literally snuck off and texted his sister, "I got a tattoo!" Really?

For the rest of this girl's dilemma, keep reading!

Brad Pitt Watches as Angelina Jolie Accepts Honors at the Sarajevo Film Festival

Allie Merriam — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 11:03:45 PDT

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were together in Bosnia yesterday to attend the Sarajevo Film Festival. It was there that Angelina, in Elie Saab, was awarded with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo distinction during the closing ceremonies. The country is close to her heart, as it was the setting for her upcoming directorial debut The Land of Blood and Honey. While accepting the honor before a clapping crowd, Angelina said, "I will start crying if you don't stop - I told Brad in the car I was afraid I was going to cry. . . I am so honoured to be here at this festival. There is no greater example of the strengths of the artists and the festival that began during the war and grew stronger every year." She also spoke about more personal matters in a recent interview with the Financial Times. Angelina said of her and Brad's six kids, "They are all learning about each other's cultures as well as being proud of their own. So it's not like just the boys get to do the Asian thing. They all have their flags over their beds and their individual pride. . . We owe Vietnam a visit, because Pax is due. Z wants to get back to Africa, and Shiloh too. So everyone takes their turns in their country."

Mary Pols on Watching Her Accidentally on Purpose Life on TV

LilSugar — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:00:44 PDT

A mom's life may play out like a sitcom, but no woman ever expects to actually watch hers on the small screen. This is exactly what happened to Mary Pols, author of Accidentally on Purpose the brilliant memoir of a 39 year old who had a one-night stand and ended up pregnant. I recently had a chance to chat with Mary about how her book became a CBS show starring Jenna Elfman. The first part of the season finale airs tonight.

LilSugar: It’s one thing to write a memoir that people can purchase and read, it’s another to have your life (or a show based on your life) broadcast on national television, how did you deal with everyone knowing your business?
Mary Pols: The thing about the show is, it's so different from my actual life - which sadly, does not include having shirtless Jon Foster to make out with on a regular basis - that it now feels like it's its own entity. Billie's got the same profession I have, although a different employer (I no longer write for a Bay Area newspaper, I review movies for Time and write a parent-oriented entertainment column for MSN), and she got pregnant on a one-night stand with a much younger man, but after that, our paths really diverge. She's less controlling, freaked out by her situation and just generally nicer than me.

LilSugar: In More magazine you wrote that Accidentally on Purpose was something you ”slaved and wept over" and were really proud of and that you hoped that the CBS show would get the memoir into more hands. Has it?
Mary Pols: I think the memoir has reached a few more hands, definitely. Perhaps mostly the writers and actors on the show, who seem to have diligently done their homework even though the story is so different. I got the loveliest email from Lennon Parham, the very funny actress who plays Billie's sister, after she read the book, which was so kind it made me cry! And I was really touched when Nicolas Wright, who plays slacker stoner Davis, told me during a set visit that he'd read Accidentally on Purpose and loved it. And I think some strangers are finding it too, just based on the emails I get. Although I think people expecting a light and frothy, sitcom-style story would be surprised. There's a lot of sadness in my book, a lot of trying to come to terms with things that don't work out in a happy, easy way. You know, like life.

To see how Accidentally on Purpose went to Hollywood and what Mary's baby's dad thinks of it all, just

read more. LilSugar: How did the series come about and how involved are you in the show? What is it like to watch Jenna Elfman play you? Mary Pols: The book was optioned and the producer, Gail Berman, who is cool and smart and a powerful woman, just took it from there. My only involvement is to be a cheerleader and to occasionally send emails like, "you know, the newspaper industry is in the toilet so if you want any background on that, give me a call." But I think it's healthier to stay out of it. I've been down to the set twice, and everyone was so nice to me. It was surreal beyond belief the first time and just kind of fun the second time. Here's what I'll say about Jenna Elfman: She looks about 25, is about 6 feet tall and even dragging around a vast and entirely authentic baby "bump," is just really, really lovely. So it's flattering. And I think she has great, very natural comic timing and even though she's positively dainty in person, projects an earthiness I enjoy a great deal. Also, it is so fun to see a real life pregnant woman on TV who is not hiding behind grocery bags or cereal boxes as she grows. In real life Jenna just had her baby, Easton, a few weeks ago, and she just sent me a photo. He's gorgeous and I feel a weird little thrill that she ended up having a little boy born in early March, just like I did. Cool little kharma thing there. With Dharma no less. LilSugar: How did /does Matt feel about the book and subsequent show? Did parts like the “strawberry” bit upset him? Mary Pols: I think the TV show was actually harder for Matt to come to terms with than the book. Which is surprising in a way because the book is all truth and the show is way kinder and gentler to his character than I was. He's only seen a few episodes, I think, and God knows, I'm not going to force it on him. But he's such a good guy that I believe he hopes, as I do, that the show will be renewed. He knows how much I want to buy our son a house. Check out Lil next Wednesday to see what Mary had to say about raising her 6 year old, her relationship with his father, and the finale secret she divulged! Photos copyright 2010 CBS Inc.

Speak Up: Has Doing Yoga Made You More Emotional?

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:00:17 PST

Stop the presses! Spencer Pratt has traded in his bad boy image for prayer beads, crystals, and is joining his wife for some Kundalini yoga. Whether he's had a true Kundalini awakening is up for debate, but something is going on with his chakras - the once angry man has shared with the Twitterverse that he's crying every day.

"I have proven that Kundalini yoga taps your feminine power in your body because I find myself crying now at least once a day!"

While many people look to yoga as their mainstay exercise, the practice is rooted in the philosophical idea that our body movement, breathing, and meditative state can bring us closer to enlightenment. Compared to other practices, Kundalini does fall into the more spiritual realm of yoga and could explain why Spencer is crying so much. Kundalini is said to be untapped energy that sits at the base of our spine - the poses are done in conjunction with a specific breath to awaken the energy, which then rises upward through the body awakening the seven chakras.

I have several friends who say yoga has changed their lives for the better - they feel more open and vulnerable, have a new self awareness, and don't seem to sweat the small stuff. Although I'm dubious of anyone that shows up to a Las Vegas club holding onto a huge crystal (ahem, see picture . . .), I'm all for anyone using yoga to better themselves.

Have you also tapped into your emotional side since practicing yoga?