BuzzSugar

My Favorite Grandmas on TV Right Now

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:30:11 PDT

Recently I got to thinking of the best characters on some of my favorite TV shows right now, and as I went down the list, a pattern started to emerge. Grandmas! There are some chic, sassy, hilarious and manipulative grandmothers popping up all over the place on TV right now. Want to see my faves and weigh in on your own? Hit "start."

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4 Reasons Strong Women Should Watch The Iron Lady

Annie Scudder — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:00:00 PST

Love or hate Margaret Thatcher's conservative politics, you can't deny her life story is intriguing. Meryl Streep's performance as the UK's only female prime minister in The Iron Lady has rightfully garnered award season buzz. Through flashbacks and scenes in the present day, Meryl brings to life a woman at the height of power and in the depths of grief. Here are four reasons any strong woman should watch the film about the lady with an iron will.

It's honest about aging. I thought The Iron Lady would spend most of its time back in the 1980s. So I was surprised to see how much of the film focused on modern-day Margaret Thatcher, who is dealing with what appears to be dementia, grief, and irrelevance in modern society. Juxtaposing Margaret at her prime and then in her older age demonstrates that she's lived a full life with many highs. But it also makes you reflect on the inevitability of aging. Our lives can be filled with success and a great romance, but The Iron Lady offers young women an insightful peek at the melancholic chapter of life that comes after that. It gives the audience an elderly woman we can empathize with, not just a grandma caricature.
There's an unusual love story. Unlike the typical relationship dynamic we see in movies or TV, in The Iron Lady the woman is the power player in the relationship. Margaret Thatcher's husband takes backseat to her career, and during her prime minster days we see her struggle to make time for her relationship and give her devoted husband more attention. When the film flashes forward to present day, it deals with Margaret Thatcher's horrifying grief and denial over her husband's passing. Meryl Streep's performance as an older woman longing for her beloved husband will help you relate to a grandparent, parent, or anyone else who has lost a partner.
Femininity is an asset. In The Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher breaks down gender barriers to become Britain's first woman prime minister. But while she take lessons to make her voice sound more authoritative, she insists that keeping her pearls is non-negotiable. It seems Margaret Thatcher knew women had assets men don't posses. For example, in one scene she uses shared motherhood to connect with mothers who had lost their sons at war. As Margaret writes a letter, she notes she is the only PM in history who is a mother with a son, assuring the grieving mother that she can truly imagine her pain.
It's an important moment in history. Margaret Thatcher witnessed views about a woman's role broaden dramatically in her lifetime and helped changed perceptions, too. Starting with a fresh-faced Maggie eager to go to Oxford, The Iron Lady tells the story of a woman with ambitious goals, and the entrenched and sexiest biases she must overcome to accomplish them. In the film, Margaret says "one's life must matter" - and she means that for both men and women.

Kristin Chenoweth and Leslie Bibb Talk About Playing Texan Women on GCB

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:36:11 PST

New ABC series GCB stars Leslie Bibb as a woman who returns to her hometown of Dallas, TX, after her husband dies amid a scandal. Once she arrives, the women of her community, headed up by Kristin Chenoweth, don't exactly welcome her with open arms. These women are affectionately known as "good Christian b*tches," which was the original title of the show before it was changed to the current abbreviation. The show's creator Robert Harling came to the Winter TCA with the stars to address the title change as well as how much the female characters will be portrayed as good, Christian, or b*tches.

Harling addressed the title changes the series has already been through. Based on a book, the original title was Good Christian B*tches, which briefly became Good Christian Belles. Harling, who is from Texas, said that "belles" wasn't really appropriate for Texas, which is different than other parts of the South. When the idea of the abbreviation came up, Harling said that it fit in with the current usage of terms like LOL and FYI. He seemed happy with the current title, saying that "GCB stuck and we all thought it was cool."
Bibb, whose character Amanda was a mean girl in high school, talked about who's the meanest of the female characters now. Though Amanda seems to have left her bad-girl past behind, Chenoweth's Carlene is still intent on bringing Amanda down. Bibb says that they "all sort of set each other off in the show," and "everyone has a beautiful, great moment of being b*tchy."
Harling says that despite the implications on the title, these women are "motivated by a real sense of goodness." As for the Christian factor, Harling says that the show "will never, ever be disrespectful" to the religion.
Old-school TV fans will remember star Annie Potts from '80s TV show Designing Women, which Potts referenced in a very sweet way during the panel. Potts plays Bibb's mother Gigi on the show as a church-attending, gun-toting grandma who takes no guff from anyone. Potts was asked if she based her character on anyone she knew, and she said that Gigi is an amalgam of people, but there's "a lot of my beloved Dixie Carter in her."

OnSugar Blog: Raising Kids Can Be Mind-Numbing, but Take This Advice

OnSugar Blog — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:04:25 PST

Lots of moms like to think out loud and marybabysteps is one of them. Here is an excerpt from one of her recent posts to Every Day Baby Steps.

Whew! Christmas is over. What takes such a big toll on your budget, you sanity and your time is blown away in a matter of minutes while the kids rip open their presents, scurry around searching madly for batteries and try to figure out their new toys without bothering to look at the damn book. All this with barely a "Thanks, Santa." But you know what? It's worth it. We had a very nice, small Christmas at home. The kids got what they wanted (Thank you, Grandma!), and I loved watching their faces light up and spending the morning just watching their excitement as they played with their new stuff.

That being said, I must confess that for the last couple months that I've been trying to work from home without the help of part-time daycare, I've nearly pulled my hair out on a daily basis. I gave up my two day a week sitter in an attempt to save money, and I'm beginning to wonder if I gave up my sanity with that decision. Playing blocks, watching endless pre-school TV and begging Brady to, "Please, go potty." have just about sent me over the edge.

But just the other day, I saw a post on Facebook that led me to a blog I had never visited before, Girl on Saturday. The post was about how poor Karen is now known as "Penis Mom" by the parents and teachers at her kids' school, but that it's okay because she took a stand against ridiculous gender stereotypes and was a role model for her kids. Karen is pretty cool. So cool, in fact, that I took a look at her other posts. Each one spoke to me and conveyed a lesson that I needed to learn or to be reminded of. I was especially moved by this post that gave life-changing advice on surviving the first few years of raising kids. Karen reminded me that, though parenting can certainly be mind-numbing, it can also be some of the best moments of your life. She emphasized what's important, and I intend to keep those things in mind when I'm thisclose to having my next breakdown. If you feel like you just can't take one more second of the mind-numbing routine that has become your life, please head over to read Karen's advice. I guarantee it will help you out.

Want to see more? Start following Every Day Baby Steps or start your own OnSugar blog. It's easy, it's free, and we just may feature your content on our site!

Link Time - Why Miss Piggy Should Dump Kermit

TresSugar — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:10:32 PST

Why Miss Piggy could do better than her frog - Yahoo! Shine
Memorable TV weddings - theBERRY
In defense of the text breakup - YourTango
10 places to hook up this Thanksgiving break - CollegeCandy
Avoid awkwardness while sharing a bed with your boyfriend at your parents' - TheFrisky
Lysol as birth control?! - Huffington Post
The best onscreen wedding dresses - The Daily Beast
Sex makes your grandma happy - Nerve
Study illuminates Hollywood's big gender inequality problem - Flavorwire

6 Weekend Weight-Loss Tips to Slim Down

Shape — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:44:06 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

After a week of spartan lunches, rigorous workouts, and sleep-depriving presentations, it's easy to feel you've earned a happy hour margarita and a plate of cheesy nachos. But topping off a tough week in this way can undo all your hard work and even pack on the pounds. According to a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, women consume about 115 more calories on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday than they do on weekdays. "Those extra 300 to 400 calories can leave you nine pounds heavier by the year's end," says Barry Popkin, Ph.D., the study's lead author. Fortunately, when armed with the right advice, it's possible to avoid the most common dietary traps while savoring that delicious downtime. And you may even wake up on Monday a little slimmer. Not a bad way to start the week!

FRIDAY

Overdoing It at Happy Hour
Alcohol isn't only high in calories, it also diminishes resolve - making it harder to keep your hands out of the pretzel bowl.

Keep reading to see the solution to this and many more weekend dilemmas!

Alyson Hannigan Shares About Life on Set and Her Mommy Must Haves

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 05 May 2011 10:32:47 PDT

How I met Alyson Hannigan? At a StubHub luncheon for her new Mom's Night Out charity initiative where she urged the attendees to forgo the healthy wraps in favor of the tasty chicken fingers. The mama of one, and star of the hit series How I Met Your Mother, was there to talk about the importance of taking a night off from the kids, but it was quickly apparent that she loves spending time with 2-year-old Satyana, joking that the first night she'll spend away from her, "will be when she goes to college!"

While her HIMYM character has recently taken a break from trying to conceive a child, almost everything else in Alyson's life revolves around kids. The actress, who recently signed on to reprise her role as Michele in the fourth installment of the American Pie franchise, answered a few of my questions about work and motherhood.

LilSugar: Congratulations on American Reunion. So what's in store for Michele and Jim this time around?
Alyson Hannigan: They’re parents, they have a kid, so that will be a part of their life obviously – balancing the hecticness of having, I think a 2-year-old (but that could have changed at this point because of casting). I'm hoping it will be really good. I think it will!

LS: Lily seems so maternal. Will we see Lily and Marshall start trying for a baby again this season?
AH: You will definitely get more of that piece of the puzzle in the season finale! You will definitely have to stay tuned.

LS: How I Met Your Mother has become baby central over the past few years! Do you, Cobie Smulders, and Neil Patrick Harris all bring your kids on set?
AH: It’s really good! The majority has kids now, we rule! The baby babies have come by to say hi, but they don’t stay there. And Cobie and I bring our daughters to set – we try to time it out so that they can have playdates – they’re such good friends.

LS: How do you relax if you find 10 minutes for yourself during the day?
AH: I wind up surfing baby sites. It just feels real decadent to be on the computer without shutting it (when Satyana's in the room). We still don’t let her watch TV or play on the screen. So looking at the computer when she’s awake doesn’t really happen because instantly, she’s like, I want to see! If she’s napping, I can open the computer and not look around!

Keep reading to learn what Alyson has planned for Mother's Day and her answers to our four Lil Questions.

Is the Insane World of Extreme Couponing For You?

LearnVest — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:15:41 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Oh reality TV. We love you because after a crazy day at work, you make our own problems seem manageable . . . at least compared to Real Housewives drama-fests.

But when it comes to the new TLC show Extreme Couponing, we watch the participants with a mixture of interest and - dare we say it - envy.

The new show features coupon clipping professionals who pull off feats like bringing $1,900 of merchandise to the grocery store checkout and paying only $103. That’s a 95 percent discount!

And they do this normally-frumpy coupon clipping with panache. There’s the sassy and adorable “Double Saving Diva” twins, who do their grocery store shopping with matching pink and purple sweaters. There’s the “super mom,” who feeds her brood of seven on $160 a month while sporting heels and a pair of size two jeans. And there’s the 24-year-old who paid off her $10,000 credit card bill with the savings.

This isn’t just for grandmas anymore.

But, could this work for a normal person? Ask yourself whether you have:

A Lot Of Time.

Six hours clipping and sorting, five hours at the checkout counter, and midnight trips to the store . . . say goodbye to free time.

Instead: Make it a party. Six hours is a bit much, but we loved that the 24-year-old threw a party for 20 of her friends on $26. If there is one time when a few hours of preparation might be worth it, this is it. (It also helps to budget for your party.)

To see if the extreme couponing lifestyle suits you, read on.

Holly Robinson Peete Says Parents Need to Be Compassionate About Food Allergies

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 08:16:31 PDT

Hollywood's bright light has been very good to Holly Robinson Peete, having starred in two highly successful television series and finishing as runner-up on last season's Celebrity Apprentice. But that doesn't mean the actress, who currently co-hosts The Talk on CBS, hasn't had her own fair share of parenting scares.

After her then-3-year-old son Rodney was diagnosed with autism, she had him tested for food allergies to adjust his diet. Little did she know they'd discover a severe peanut allergy. Now, all four of her kids - Ryan and Rodney Jr., 14, Robinson, 9, and Roman, 6 - have been diagnosed with food allergies, and the hot mama knows a thing or two about anaphylaxis. Holly spoke with me about living with deadly food allergies and how families can cope with the diagnosis.

LilSugar: Have you ever experienced an anaphylactic reaction, and did you respond the way you thought you would?
Holly Robinson Peete: Yeah, it was a crazy moment. I went a little nuts and then I calmed down. I tried to remember everything that I had been taught. I've had two situations. One was out of the country with my younger son who has a severe dairy allergy and the other was at Thanksgiving. Thankfully, both times I had access to my EpiPens, because otherwise - gosh I don't even want to think about what would have happened. I didn't have [a pen] at my mom’s house, but, thankfully, I live close enough that I was able to run and get it. I learned you need to have them everywhere your kids are going to be. Especially grandma and grandpa's house.

LS: When do you think parents should start teaching their tots about their allergy and how?
HRP: Well, every parent has to do it their own way. My particular way was, as soon as they could talk, they had to learn what foods they needed to be avoiding, really trying to explain the seriousness of their allergies, trying to explain to them what anaphalaxis is (you should hear my 3-year-old saying anaphylaxis, it's hilarious!), and not being afraid of saying the word death - that it is a deadly situation. I think all parents have different ways of talking about that. For me, it works being open and honest about it. What I found, we would go to birthday parties and things and they would be going "uh – does that have dairy in it? Does that have peanuts?"

Keep reading to see what Holly's tips for helping kids feel normal with their diagnoses and how to handle birthday parties.