Tampabay.com
NOVEMBER 25, 2011

Baby name trends of 2012

The unusual naming trends for babies show no sign of ending. The Nameberry blog has this overview of baby name trends for 2012 that once again shows parents want something unique (like naming their kid Unique) or fashionable or fierce. Anything, it seems, but blend in.

Here are some of the trends Nameberry has found:

Heroes as last names. Mariah Carey naming her daughter Monroe wasn't a fluke. Babies are also getting named after Landry (as in football coach Tom), Gatsby (as in fictional hero The Great), and Palin.

Changing the spelling: "The No. 1 girls' name Isabella gives rise to stylistically-related choices Arabella and Annabelle," the blog notes. "Olivia, the top name in Britain, spawns spelling variation Alivia; Emma and Emily promote brother name Emmett."

Western-sounding names Boone and Bo, Wyatt and Wylie, Cole and Colt, Zane and Shane, and even Maverick. ... Read more

SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Punky Brewster on being a mom

punky.jpgSoleil Moon Frye is all grown up. So grown up, in fact, that the celebrity, best known for her role in the 1980s sitcom Punky Brewster, has written a book on parenting. Recently, the 35-year-old released Happy Chaos, which chronicles her life from child stardom to time with her two daughters, Poet, 6, and Jagger, 3.

We caught up with Frye, who also is currently serving as “Mommy Ambassador” for Target, by phone from her home in Los Angeles, where she lives with her kids and husband Jason Goldberg. ... Read more

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

Bethenny Frankel offers hope for fat babies

bethenny.jpgThe Real Housewives' Bethenny Frankel wants to get a girl's body issues off to a good start. Jezebel takes issue with her new line of onesies in Cafe Press with "Future SkinnyGirl" emblazoned on it. Frankel peddles diet margaritas under the brand name SkinnyGirl and notes on her creation that "I hope to raise Bryn to value a healthy lifestyle as I do"

Jezebel writer Jessica Coen notes: ... Read more

NOVEMBER 02, 2010

Disney star Demi Lovato admitted to treatment center

demi.jpgAnother Disney star is seeking treatment, this time it's cute  Demi Lovato, who dropped out of her concert tour and checked into an in-patient treatment center for help with "emotional and physical issues," a statement released by her publicist said Monday. The 18-year-old singer-actress was three months into a world tour with the Jonas Brothers when she decided to seek help, the statement said.

"Demi Lovato left her tour early this weekend in order to seek medical treatment for emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time," the statement said. Lovato was in Disney's Camp Rock movie and is the start in the Disney's TV series Sonny With a Chance.

MTV is reporting that the star has fought through eating disorders and has struggled with cutting. Just last month she wrote an emotional letter to fellow bullying victims, telling them, "I was bullied in middle school. It got so bad I chose to leave and be home schooled."

I always wonder if the personal problems of these child stars make parents want to steer kids away from their shows, or do you still enjoy the entertainment but talk about the teen pregnany (Jamie Lynn Spears), drug abuse (Lindsay Lohan) or eating disorders (Nicole Richie, Ashlee Simpson, Mary Kate Olsen... the list goes on). ... Read more

AUGUST 25, 2010

Quote of the Day: Elin Nordegren

mom_elin.jpg "My immediate plan is for the kids and me to continue to adjust to our new situation. I am going to keep taking classes, but my main focus is to try to give myself time to heal." -- Newly divorced Elin Nordegren, speaking to People magazine in what she says will be her only interview, on her life post-Tiger Woods. Nordegren, who is studying for a college degree in psychology, says that despite everything that has happened, "I also feel stronger than I ever have. I have confidence in my beliefs, my decisions and myself." 

AUGUST 13, 2010

Another round of Jennifer Aniston vs. Bill O'Reilly

mom_feud.jpgWell, this Jennifer Aniston-Bill O'Reilly feud just isn't going away anytime soon. Aniston, whose love life is the fodder of celebrity magazines the world over, had previously said that being a single parent is okay if you can't find the right man. O'Reilly jumped into the fray, saying that Aniston was "destructive to our society" and that she had done a disservice to fatherhood in this country. ... Read more

JUNE 21, 2010

Celebrity kids: spoiled by default?

suricruise.jpgSuri Cruise has an iPad and a wardrobe that any A-lister would envy. Sean "Diddy" Combs gave his son a $360,000 luxury sedan for his 16th birthday. US Weekly reports that Gwen Stefani recently spent $15,000 on a birthday party for son Kingston.

When I read these tales of celebrity offspring excess I wonder, is it possible to be fabulously wealthy and also fabulously grounded and normal? Is giving a 4 year old a $499 iPad by definition spoiling her? Can a teenager have a car that costs more than my house and not be an entitled little snot?

Surprisingly, the answer from some child development experts is not necessarily. Spoiled comes from attitude, not things. ... Read more

MAY 13, 2010

Danica "Winnie" McKellar all grown up

Mom_wonderyears So you're saying, of course Danica McKellar is grown up. She's 35 now and expecting her first child. She was just a kid when she starred on The Wonder Years. So why should we care about what she does? ... Read more

MAY 12, 2010

Jillian Michaels: I did not diss pregnant bodies

Jillian-michaels After weathering a tsunami of outrage over her comment that she would rather adopt than give birth to kids because "I can't handle doing that to my body," the Biggest Loser trainer tells MomLogic.com that her comments were taken out of context. ... Read more

APRIL 07, 2010

Kate Gosselin's feminist fight

Kate I'm tired of the Jon and Kate Gosselin stories too, but the news that he plans to file for custody because she is neglecting their kids by being on Dancing With the Stars  strikes me as a feminist issue. ... Read more

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THE AUTHORS

Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.

E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
wynne@tampabay.com

SP_255665_CROS_KATE.jpgAfter six long years of trying to have a baby, Kate Brassfield was finally able to have one. And then, two minutes later, another one. Suddenly the lady who had never been around babies before was juggling two! Just as Kate felt she was getting pretty good with babies, the girls became toddlers, and now Kate is back to Square One, learning about the care and feeding of these strange, wonderful creatures. She spends her days working part-time from home and trying to keep up with the Twinosaurus Wrecks.

E-mail Kate Brassfield:
katedaphne17@gmail.com

Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at courtneyblogs@gmail.com.

Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, ZannaLand.com , and she's a member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel in addition to being addicted to Twitter, iced coffee, and watching way too much Yo, Gabba Gabba.

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