Jessica Simpson is pregnant with her second child. The worst-kept secret in Hollywood was officially confirmed by the mommy-to-be on her Twitter account on Tuesday morning.

The fashion mogul said, "Merry Christmas from my family to yours!"

The tweet included a photo of her daughter Maxwell dressed in a candy cane–striped onesie with a red bow in her hair and Hawaiian beads around her neck. The 7-month-old is sitting in the sand above the words "Big Sis."

The adorable photo sent Twitter into a frenzy within minutes of being posted. Fans retweeted the photo more than 300 times within the first 20 minutes.

Now that the news is confirmed, where does this leave the Fashion Star judge's contract with Weight Watchers? Her second commercial is slated to be released on Christmas Day, but it is going to be hard to have a pregnant pitch person for a weight-loss program.

Simpson was unable to meet the terms of her contract with her first commercial because she struggled to lose the baby weight. Her first spot focused only on her face. The second commercial was going to be her big coming out party, since she had dropped almost all of the baby weight and was looking healthy and lean.

Her next commercial reportedly was the big bikini reveal to show off her post-baby body. That certainly won't be happening now.

Will Weight Watchers wait out the second pregnancy and utilize Simpson again for a campaign, or are they just done with their current spokesperson? Rumors are floating around that they are disappointed with her and will not renew the contract, but Simpson is wildly popular with her fans. So, perhaps they will rethink their strategy.

Congratulations to Jessica, Eric Johnson, and baby Maxwell!

Photo credit: WENN.com

What will be the hottest baby names for 2013? We checked out baby name trends and looked into our crystal ball to predict the baby girl names and baby boy names that will be the hippest on the playground.

Top baby names of 2013

The hottest baby name trends of 2013 include cool hipster names, edgy or modern names, meaningful names as well as names influenced by the Royal Family.

The Social Security Administration listed the names that are climbing the baby names charts the fastest and they include Brantley, Iker and Maximilliano for boys and Briella, Angelique and Aria for girls. We can expect those names to be hot in 2013 — as well as the following cool names.

Hipster girl names

It seems like all of the hipster celebrities are naming their kids vintage names. One of the hottest girl names of the year is Pearl. Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill and Lil Aldridge named their daughter Dixie Pearl, while Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman named her daughter India Pearl.

Olive is another buzzworthy girl name of the year, with Drew Barrymore, Isla Fisher and country singer Jake Owen all choosing this cute name.

Here are more cool hipster girl names we predict will be hot in 2013:

Edgy, modern boy names

For boys, we predict the hottest names of the year will be edgy and modern. For instance, the futuristic names Zaiden and Nico are climbing the charts. Gwen Stefani named her son the cool, edgy name Zuma, while January Jones and Robert Downey Jr. both named their sons the “X” names of Xander and Exton.

Check out more cool boy names of the year:

Baby names fit for a Queen or King

Kate Middleton’s pregnancy news means that not only are people throwing out royal baby names for the couple, but are also considering naming their own child a baby name fit for the future King or Queen.

Also check out baby names that Kate Middleton will love>>

Meaningful baby names

Many modern parents are not only wanting baby names that are unique, but also ones with great meanings.

Some popular names with significant meanings include baby names that mean “miracle,“ “love” or “blessed” as well as names that signify power and strength.

Looking for a meaningful name? Check out baby girl names with great meanings, as well as boy names with great meanings>>

Gender-bending baby names

Parents are thinking outside of the box and picking gender-bending names for their babies. This trend seems to be more popular with girls over boys, with celebrities jumpstarting this fad. Jessica Simpson named her daughter Maxwell, while Johnny Knoxville named his daughter Arlo. Other gender-bending names that will be popular in 2013 include:

More baby name ideas

Preppy baby names
50 Pretty baby girl names
Baby boy names with serious swagger

Miss some of these fantastic films earlier in the year? Check them out on DVD and have a fun movie night with the whole family.

The top family-friendly films

Here are our top kid movie picks for 2012.

Rise of the Guardians

Though it’s only made a medium-sized splash at the box office, Rise of the Guardians has quickly become a fan favorite to those who have made it to the theater. A unique take on childhood legends like the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus, this holiday film delights children with a tale of defending hope and imagination.

More movies for kids

10 Classic Christmas movies kids love
Top 10 best kids movies
4 Family movies that make you feel thankful

Fruits and veggies can last in the fridge from two days to more than a month, depending on the specific fruit or veggie, of course. Certain factors play a role in their freshness — such as how ripe the produce was when you purchased it, the temperature of your fridge and which types of produce should or shouldn't be stored together. Here's a quick guide to help prevent your fruits and veggies from rotting and maintain their freshness longer.

Check out this guide on how to preserve summer fruit>>

• Certain foods should be kept away from each other to prevent premature spoiling. Bananas, mangoes, avocadoes and plums should be stored separately from broccoli, carrots and leafy greens.
• Citrus fruits last up to one week when stored properly. Ideally, store them in a cool, dark place away from sunlight.
• Keep all veggies as dry as possible in the crisper drawer.
• Do not wash berries until you eat them to prevent extra moisture.
• Carefully select your produce before buying it. Do not buy anything that is bruised or cut, as it will spoil faster and cause your other produce to spoil quicker as well.
• Herbs and asparagus should be stored in a glass of water and covered with a plastic bag.
• Root vegetables — like carrots or beets — can be frozen to last all winter long.
• Shop at the farmers market to get the freshest, best-quality harvest.
• Plan meals ahead of time and only buy what you need. Shop regularly to ensure your fruits and vegetables won't go to waste.

More on fruits and vegetables

Canned versus frozen fruits and vegetables
How to incorporate fruits and vegetables in meals
Health benefits of yellow fruits and vegetables

The acting world lost not one but two beloved character actors on Christmas Eve. It was announced on Monday that The Odd Couple star Jack Klugman had passed away. On Tuesday came news that versatile stage and screen actor Charles Durning had also passed away.

The Associated Press reported that Durning died of natural causes at the age of 89 in New York City.

Born in 1923, the Tootsie star knew in high school that he wanted to be an actor, but he didn't take a traditional path to get there. As a teenager, he worked factory jobs to support himself until, at 16, he found a job as an usher at a burlesque theater in Buffalo, New York. He studied the comedians' work each night until he had the opportunity to go on for an entertainer who showed up drunk.

His big break took a back seat as the actor enlisted in the Army. Part of the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach, Durning was in the first wave of the first troops to land ashore, and he was the only survivor in his unit. His heroic actions in World War II earned him three Purple Hearts and one Silver Star for valor.

Durning suffered from psychological war wounds and lost almost a decade of his life to an inability to focus or find direction. Even a stint at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York resulted in a dismissal.

In a 1997 interview with the New York Times, he said, "They basically said you have no talent and you couldn't even buy a dime's worth of it if it was for sale."

Even though he worked a series of menial jobs during this lost time, he went on to prove the acting school wrong in 1962, when he was cast in a role at the Public Theater founded by Joseph Papp. Papp believed in Durning's talent and cast the actor in 35 plays over his career.

Roles on the big screen followed, with Durning getting cast in The Sting in 1973. After that breakthrough in Hollywood, he went on to a series of well-known parts in movies like Dog Day Afternoon, Tootsie,Dick Tracy and O Brother, Where Art Thou? Two roles — in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas in 1982 and To Be or Not To Be in 1983 — even brought him back-to-back Oscar nods in the Best Supporting Actor category.

He was even a series regular on his pal Burt Reynolds' show, Evening Shade, in the 1990s, but he never gave up his love for the theater. He made sure to hit the stage as often as possible. Durning dazzled Broadway audiences with his performances in Inherit the Wind, The Gin Game, and Gore Vidal's The Best Man.

His last role is in the upcoming thriller Scavenger Killers, which stars Eric Roberts and Robert Loggia. It is set to hit the big screen in 2013.

Durning was married twice. His first marriage ended in divorce, and he was separated from his second wife, Mary Ann Amelio, at the time of his death. He is survived by his three children, Michele, Jeanine and Douglas.

While many did not know his name, audiences sure knew his face over the years. It was his love for acting that kept him working, and he did that until the end. As he told the AP in 2008, "They're going to carry me out, if I go."

Image courtesy of Nikki Nelson/WENN

3 Stars: Perfect for grandparents

Grandparents Artie and Diane are coerced into watching their three grandkids for a week when their daughter Alice and her husband, Phil , decide to go out of town.

Having created a fully automated home management system called R-Life, Phil is up for an award for this pervasive software that jabbers to you in a British accent. Alice and Phil need this kind of computerized help because their lives are overrun with their kids' speech therapy sessions, violin lessons and baseball games that don't include strikes and outs.

Yes, Alice and Phil are modern parents who encourage their kids to "use their words" and forbid sugar, setting up the grandparents for some predictable yet very funny scenarios.

Artie, not wanting to be called some silly interpretation of "Grandpa," tells his grandkids, "Don't call me Moop Moop, Bub Bup or Pee Pee." His plan backfires, however, when he earns the nickname "Farty" from his youngest grandchild, Barker .

Parental Guidance is most fun when consummate comedians Billy Crystal and Bette Midler are allowed to take the reins and work their magic. The best example is when Artie needs to take Barker to the bathroom to go "number two." Barker said he needs a song to help move the process along, so Artie sings "Come Out, Mr. Doody," which apparently Crystal himself wrote for the movie because he's credited with the lyrics in the end credits. The song hilariously induces that well-known "plop."

Bottom line: This movie is super cute and very relatable to younger and older generations of parents, and it proves that as long as there's plenty of love, the kids are going to be all right.

Parental Guidance is 1 hour 45 minutes. Stay through the credits to see the cast and crew's family photos and for one final moment of the "Mr. Doody" scene.

Photo credit: Twentieth Century Fox

Bette Midler isn’t a grandma yet, but she can’t wait to be one.

“I can’t wait,” Midler told SheKnows, of her hopes that 26-year-old daughter Sophie will have kids one day. “I’ve been nagging her since she was 15. Every time I talk about it I say, ‘I’m going to grab that kid and I’m running away with it.’ And of course she’s like, ‘Just stop it, would you?’ Because she knows I will.”

WATCH OUR CHAT WITH BETTE MIDLER AND BILLY CRYSTAL

In the film, Midler and Billy Crystal both play the “old school” grandparents to Marisa Tomei's tight-laced, New Age mother figure. While Tomei’s character has the kids on sugar-free diets, Crystal’s character gives them cake. While Tomei dresses her daughter conservatively, Midler wants to get her a sequin cocktail dress.

But it appears Midler and her character both know best. Tomei told us Midler and Crystal both worked great with the kids.

“I had a lot of laughs watching Bette teach Kyle,” said Tomei. “We were all trying to get him to say this one line, and somehow she’s the one who got him to say it. They were great with the kids. They are really funny, really warm people.”

WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH MARISA TOMEI

Crystal, who has grandchildren, told us the movie really resonated with him because he is currently in his “grandparent phase.” Unlike his character, though, he says he is enjoying it more.

“Babies make you feel young,” he told SheKnows. “That was going to be the tagline on the poster: ‘Grandparents, your second chance to screw somebody up.’ ”

But Crystal and Midler seem to have a grounded grasp of valuable parenting techniques, so we doubt they’re actually screwing anybody up. When asked the most important lesson their own parents taught them, Crystal told us, “My mom said listen to them. Use your common sense.”

And Midler chimed in with, “Don’t think that they’re you. And they’re not yours. You’re just getting them ready to give to the world.”

It sounds like Midler is going to make a fabulous grandma one day.

Don’t miss Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei in Parental Guidance in theaters opening Christmas Day!

Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox

A new year means a list of resolutions for many people. Why not make a few parenting New Year’s resolutions?

Commit to your kids

Whether you call them resolutions, goals or simply plans, consider the following parenting New Year’s resolutions.

I'm not a perfect parent. In fact, I am anything but a perfect parent. However, like most moms, I do my best… most of the time. Occasionally, we all have our moments. However, the new year is a great time to think about a few New Year's parenting resolutions. I am working on a list for myself. Following are a few suggestions for all parents.

Serenity now!

Find peace. Find calm. Find patience. Whatever you want to call a composed state of mind, next time your preschooler asks you for water for the tenth time — as you're in the middle of pouring it into a cup — and you think your head might explode, take a deep breath.

It can be difficult to maintain your patience all of the time and inevitably, we lose our patience occasionally. But remember that your preschooler is asking for water 10 times because he hasn't learned patience yet. And we know that "Do as I say, not as I do" does not apply to 3-year-olds.

Sometimes it takes every ounce of control I have not to say, "Oh my gosh, how many times can you ask the same question?!" With a 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter who acts twice her age, occasionally I have to dig deep. Well, this year, I'm going to dig a little deeper. Serenity now!

Use your indoor voice

Trust me when I say I have a list of improvements I'd like to make as a mom. For some reason, I'm not a yeller. It's nothing to my credit, but I don't raise my voice beyond the occasional "stern" level I have to use when things are serious. I can think of two times I really, truly yelled and both were awful for my kids and for me. However, I have encountered many moms who yell on a regular basis and most are not happy about it.

Yelling is not an effective parenting technique. There are several books that offer ways to break the habit and alternatives to yelling. I've even seen in-depth classes for parents who tend to raise their voices a little too much and a little too often. Whatever tools work for you, make this the year that you use volume control.

Something's gotta give

Much to our chagrin, there just isn't enough time in the day to accomplish every last task on our to-do list — at least not every single day. Show me the super mom who can do it all, all of the time, and I will either congratulate her or run away. I'm not sure how I would react because I have yet to meet this mystical woman.

Because it isn't possible to do it all, something's always gotta give. This year, make the "thing" that has to give exactly that — a thing. While some tasks simply cannot be ignored — bills have to be paid and at some point, laundry has to be done — others can. Our kids, however, shouldn't be ignored — at least not regularly.

I don't want to look back one day and think, "I really wish I would have played Candy Land with my kids instead of washing the floor or doing the dishes… every single time they asked." However, I can pretty much guarantee that I won't ever regret playing with them and ignoring the dishes. This year, when something has to give, let's try our best to make sure it isn't related to our children. Even if it's as simple as trading a chore for 10 minutes with your toddler, give it a try.

A new year means a metaphorical fresh start. Make a few parenting New Year's resolutions of your own!

More on New Year's resolutions

New Year's Resolutions for new moms
The frazzled mommy's top 10 New Year's resolutions
Top New Year's resolutions for families

Miley Cyrus gave fans and curious followers a look at her early Christmas present this year.

"Does this count for the carpool lane?" she tweeted, posting a picture of herself alongside a blow-up sex doll inside her car.

On the upside, at least Hannah Montana is promoting safety: The blow-up doll was wearing its seat belt.

We're not sure who bought her the vinyl friend, or more important, why, but she was pretty stoked about the gift. Could it be her fiance Liam Hemsworth's way of trying to keep her out of trouble while he's filming in Philadelphia?

He'll have to try harder than that, though. Recently, Cyrus has continued to border on appearing out of control.

Cyrus started out as the loud-mouthed star of Hannah Montana that billions of mothers allowed their daughters to look up to as a role model. However, these days she continues to promote herself in a variety of compromising positions.

For her recent birthday, one of Cyrus' presents was a stripper. She promptly took a picture groping the stripper's bare butt. She's incredibly classy like that.

Her fashion choices also have been far from role model-worthy. First, she appeared half-naked at a concert to dance and sing alongside G-string clad strippers in a barely there top and leather pants with a zipper that seemed to never end. Then she showed up for the VH1 Divas concert in a dress with diamond-shaped holes all the way down the sides.

The picture with her new BFF, the naked plastic blow-up doll, is just another in her long line of attention-seeking tweets and Instagrams. Everyone is fretting over Lindsay Lohan, but should we also worry about Miley Cyrus, too? Even a seat belt can't keep her safe if her life continues to spin out of control.

Photo credit: WENN.com

You'll love this simple mole recipe!

Slow cooker turkey mole recipe

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds boneless, skinless turkey breasts
• Salt
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 dried ancho chilies, stemmed
• 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Season turkey with salt and place in a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. In a blender, puree the remaining ingredients until smooth.
3. Add the mixture to the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until the meat is tender. Shred turkey with two forks before serving.

More turkey recipes

Citrus roasted turkey
Thanksgiving turkey for two
Super moist roasted turkey

When Twitter was just catching on, mom of two Amy Lupold Bair had an idea to welcome new sites to the web with a SiteWarming party. That idea snowballed into her successful business as a marketer and Twitter party maven.

How this power social media mom started

Resourceful Mommy Amy Lupold Bair spun a little idea into a successful business. How did she do it?

SheKnows: Where did the idea of SiteWarming parties come from?

Amy Lupold Bair: This is somewhat of a long story, but the short version is that I wanted to hold an event to launch my own blog, ResourcefulMommy.com, and there were no marketing or launch events being held on Twitter. Events taking place on other platforms such as forums were being announced on Twitter, and it simply made more sense to me to keep the event where the people were already located. The first night that I held a SiteWarming, three people approached me asking to hire me to hold an event for them. SiteWarmings by Resourceful Mommy was born!

SK: Did you expect that these online parties — something that didn't exist before you created them — would take off the way they did?

ALB: We have not had a single week without a party since the launch mid-2008, but at the time I told people that I would be surprised if they lasted six months. Twitter hadn’t even monetized their own platform yet, and I was certain that my account would be kicked off of the site.

SK: At what point did it become clear that these parties were the start of something much bigger for you?

ALB: It was almost immediately clear that this was the start of a rapidly growing business and not just an occasional activity. In fact, by February of 2009 — just seven months after I began blogging — I had already hired my first staffer and launched the Global Influence blog network.

SK: What do you wish you knew before you started hosting SiteWarming parties?

ALB: I wish I had known that four years later, it would still be a business seeing constant growth and continued success. I have worked each day with the anticipation that it could all end tomorrow, and had I known that was not the case, I might have taken a few more vacation days or made time to catch my breath.

Growing a company

SK: You've grown your brand and created such a successful company — what have been the keys to your success?

ALB: Someone once told me that people working in social media appear to be running around like they are on fire, trying to keep up with what the next guy is doing or the next big thing. Rather than worry about everyone around me, I’ve continued to get better at what I do and work consistently and diligently for my clients. That has not only helped my business, but also my sanity.

SK: You come from a teaching background. How has that helped you in creating and growing your business?

ALB: Once you survive teaching Drama to middle schools, everything else is a walk in the park ;)

On life... and what's next

SK: How do you balance life with the demands of a busy online-focused career?

ALB: I am still figuring that one out.

SK: What's next for you?

ALB: Right now I am writing a book with Wiley publishers, Raising Digital Families For Dummies, that will be out in April of 2013. There are a few more exciting developments coming next year, but that is the one that I am most proud of personally. It has long been a dream to write a book, and the entire process has been nothing short of fascinating.

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J.J. Abrams isn't going to the dark side. The Star Trek director has shot down rumors that he'll direct Disney's planned Star Wars sequel. In a recent interview with Empire Magazine, he nipped that story in the bud.

The director stressed that he's not interested in spearheading the project. Instead, he just wants to enjoy its resurgence like the rest of us.

"There were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek, and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things," Abrams revealed.

"I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."

Steven Spielberg rules himself out as director of Star Wars>>

He also said that Star Trek is keeping him busy. In his contract, he committed to three films and recently wrapped his second. He also has a slate of TV shows that he produces. There's NBC's Revolution, CBS' Person of Interest and Fox's Fringe, just to name a few.

Since Star Wars is off limits, he was asked about the inevitable Star Trek rivalry. Is Abrams worried that the revamped trilogy could steal some of his thunder?

"There's obviously room for both Star Trek and Star Wars," he said. "We both have plenty of things to offer sci-fi. But I'm not saying any more that that! There are more than enough Star Wars stories around at the moment!"

Star Trek Into Darkness opens in theaters May 17, 2013, while Star Wars: Episode VII is scheduled for summer 2015.

Photo credit: Apega/WENN.com

The cast’s mass exodus

When Django Unchained was still in pre-production, actors who had committed to the project started dropping like flies. Sacha Baron Cohen, Kevin Costner, Kurt Russell and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all bailed on the project, each citing scheduling conflicts as the reason for bolting. Of course, the Hollywood community was skeptical for several reasons. This is a Quentin Tarantino project, which can be a real shot in the arm for any actor’s career. There was some speculation that perhaps these actors didn’t care for the racially charged and thusly controversial premise of the movie, and that’s why they took a pass.

Tarantino’s not high when he writes… or is he?

In a Playboy interview, Tarantino said, "I wouldn't do anything impaired while making a movie. I don't so much write high, but say you're thinking about a musical sequence. You smoke a joint, you put on some music, you listen to it and you come up with some good ideas. ...I don't need pot to write, but it's kind of cool." That statement makes us wonder where he stands on doing interviews while high. He uses pot to generate ideas, but not necessarily to write? That explains a lot.

What’s a little blood among friends?

Leonardo DiCaprio got so into his villainous character, slave and plantation owner Calvin Candie, that when DiCaprio slammed his hand down on a shot glass and cut his hand open, he just kept filming the scene! Talk about dedication to one’s art. Leo has been quoted as saying he didn’t identify with this character in any way, and that he hated him. So maybe Leonardo was glad when Candie split his hand open? If so, is there such a thing as getting too in character?

Filmmaker Spike Lee not a fan

Spike Lee called Django Unchained“disrespectful to his ancestors” and said he would not see the film. On Twitter, Lee publicly announced, “American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them.” Ouch. So far, Lee seems to stand alone in his opinion of the movie’s premise, but we suspect this won’t be the singular controversy surrounding this movie.

Mixed reviews

Critics across the board seem to begrudgingly praise Tarantino’s latest effort. Many call it too long, too violent, but funny and entertaining. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter probably sums up this collective sentiment best in his review: “The anecdotal, odyssey-like structure of this long, talky saga could be considered indulgent, but Tarantino injects the weighty material with so many jocular, startling and unexpected touches that it's constantly stimulating."

Photo credit: WENN.com

There is nothing more classic than apple pie. That is why we decided to take that classic and step it up a notch. We added fresh cranberries and then topped it with an oatmeal topping. It's a perfect bite of sweet and tart! Plus, it's cute and minature. Who doesn't love everything in miniature form? If you want to make these little pies for the masses just double the recipe, and it can be made in a traditional 9-inch pie plate.

Mini cranberry apple pie recipe

Yields 4 mini pies

Ingredients:

• 1 store-bought unbaked pie crust
• 2 large apples , peeled and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl add all ingredients and toss to combine. Set aside until ready to fill pie shells.
3. Divide the pie shell into four pieces and press into 4 miniature pie plates or tart pans. We used 4-3/4 inch minature tart pans.
4. Equally fill pie shells with filling. Sprinkle with topping and bake for about 35 minutes until topping is browned and crispy.

Crumble topping for pie recipe

Yields 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/4 cup cold butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together brown sugar, flour and oats.
2. Chop butter into small pieces and add to mixture. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two forks. Work the butter into the mixture until you get pea-size crumbs.
3. Keep cold until ready to top pie.

More pie recipes

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Sweet potato pie recipe
Easy homemade pie crust recipe

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Celebrate with your little ones

Ready to ring in New Year's with a bang, but feeling guilty about the little ones? No one says that New Year's Eve can't be a family affair. This year, celebrate with a bash the whole family can enjoy!

Include your kids for a fun family celebration

Get your glitter on

Planning a New Year's party with your kids is part of the fun! Start gathering decorations and props for your party a few weeks before, and include the kids in the process. Decorations don't have to cost an arm and a leg to be fun and festive. Balloons, confetti, crepe paper, funny hats and tiaras, noise makers, fun sunglasses and feather boas are just a few ideas to get you started. Be creative and let your inner sparkle shine! New Year's Eve is one time when an abundance of glitter is welcome — and expected.

Edible crafts and finger foods

Spend time planning a festive menu with the kids. Make sure to include lots of finger foods, which are always a hit with little ones. You might also choose some edible food crafts to make things exciting. Try hot dogs in the shape of an octopus, a fruit flower bouquet, ants on a log, a gummy worm dirt cake, firework juice popsicles or snowmen cupcakes. Make sure to include some adult-friendly food also, so the whole party isn't just for the little ones.

Party games? Yes, please!

Go old-school and bust out those tried-and-true board games for some good, old-fashioned fun the whole family will love. Classic games — Twister, Pictionary, Charades, Monopoly and Uno — are easy to learn, can be played in teams and are all-time favorites. If it's snowy outside, bundle up the kids and head out into the backyard for a midnight snowball fight. Love karaoke? Have a contest or challenge each family to sing a popular song together.

Movie night

New Year's Eve parties are focused on the clock striking midnight, but there are lots of hours ahead of that to fill. After the kids have finished their finger foods, cue up a family-friendly movie for all ages and pass the popcorn. Have plenty of blankets and pillows available for a cozy viewing session. Adults can enjoy their dinner fare close by while the kids relax, making the time until midnight move a little faster.

Celebrate in style

As the midnight hour approaches, do a fun family craft like making your own noise makers. Old baby food containers or plastic spice jars can be filled with rice or beans and decorated with sequins, glitter, ribbons and sparkles. As most things go with kids, the more noise, the better.

Watch the countdown ball drop on TV, pop open a bottle of sparkling grape juice for the kids, shake your homemade noise makers and ring in New Year's with the ones you love most — your family. Here's to an amazing year!

More about New Year's

How to celebrate New Year's Eve with toddlers
5 Kid-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations
Let kids stay up on New Year's Eve?

Over the holiday weekend, Dimension Films released the first trailer for Scary Movie 5. In it, Ashley Tisdale makes her debut as the series heroine, and shares the screen with another teen queen: Anna Faris originally headlined the series, which began in 2000.

Scary Movie 5: Former Disney star replaces Anna Faris!>>

Scary Movie 5 has a lot of ground to cover. It's been seven years since the last parody. A lot has happened in that time, so everything's up for grabs. The film mocks the Paranormal Activity craze, Inception, Black Swan,Tyler Perry's Madea movies plus Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan's public meltdowns.

Lindsay Lohan refuses to kiss Charlie Sheen >>

This isn't Sheen's first appearance in the Scary Movie franchise. He was the star of the third installment back in 2003. In the fifth film, he and Lohan play the previous owners of a haunted house. They both poke fun at themselves and their recent troubles.

Scary Movie 5 also stars Heather Locklear as Tisdale's mother, Simon Rex as her husband and Erica Ash as her best friend.

As in the earlier films, there will be lots of pop culture cameos. Expect appearances from Mob Wives star Angela Raiola, The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Sheree Whitfield, The Hills' Audrina Patridge and former playmate Kendra Wilkinson.

Scary Movie 5 opens in theaters April 12.

Are you game for another round of spoofs?

Photo credit: WENN

Inspired by the art deco trend, these silver, gray and gold-toned party toppers will coordinate with any outfit and are sure to put everyone in a festive mood. Just download and print the templates onto card stock, follow the directions below to make a tassel-topped cone hat and a glorious New Year's crown.

Supplies:

• White card stock
• Color printer
• Headband for each hat
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun.

Instructions:

Download the PDFs of the hats and print your hats.

Trim each hat with scissors.

For the cone hats, make small slits in the rectangle piece to create a fringe.

Roll the fringe into a tassel and hot glue it onto the top of the cone.

Secure the two edges of the cone together with hot glue.

Cut two slits on the edge of the cone hat.

Slide headband through the slits of the cone hat so that it will sit securely on a head.

For the crown hat, wrap the three tabs around a headband and use hot glue to secure onto the band.

Celebrate the coming of the new year in style!

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Kids today don't need a ride to the library to research their big paper. So much information — from studies to full book texts — is available digitally, making research easier but also trickier.

Modern kids,
modern research

Knowing how your kids research can help you teach them to be responsible digital citizens.

Schools today are teaching students to how to select, use and cite information from the web. "Teachers want their students to access digital resources that are reputable and accurate. They don't want students pulling information from crowd-sourced sites like Wikipedia. Teachers train their students how to distinguish between reputable and sketchy websites," says Jessica Bayliss, director of education for Education Portal. "Teachers also train their students to cite all information. In the digital age, it's easy to copy and paste information without attribution, and it's important for teachers to educate students about plagiarism and attribution."

Even so, as a parent you should know about digital research — and what it means for how kids are researching today. "One great thing about the evolution of the web, is that there are so many tools that students have access to in order to do safe, responsible research," says Laura Rebecca, a freelance writer and educational media consultant. "There are several free curated search engines, such as Sweet Search, as well as bibliography and note-taking tools like EasyBib and Citelighter."

Making smart source choices

Not sure how to tell a legit site from one that isn't? Rebecca says to first look for the author of the website. "If no author can be found, it's an immediate red flag. Also, look at the publisher of the site: If you see an article on CNN.com without an author, you can let that slide because the publisher, CNN, is a reputable news agency. If you don't recognize the name of the publisher, do a Google search," says Rebecca.

A search can shed light on the website — and any nefarious intentions. "My students and I once did a class web search on Martin Luther King Jr. after investigating the publisher of a site that looked legitimate, only to find they were a white supremacist organization," says Rebecca.

Good digital citizenship

It's extremely important that teens understand that information on the internet has to be cited same as any other source. "Have that conversation about plagiarism too. Just because someone else put words and ideas on the internet for you to see doesn't give you the right to pass them off as your own: Give credit where credit is due," says Rebecca.

But, teens — and their parents — should also be aware of digital security. Same as you wouldn't give out your social security number to just anyone asking for it, teens should be careful about where they input their personal information. "Parents must understand the implications of entering personal information to websites and educate their kids about how to access firewalled material safely and responsibly," says Bayliss.

Talk about it, and set standards for when it's OK to input information — and when they should click away or ask first.

"The most important thing for parents to do is educate themselves. By throwing up your hands and saying 'these kids are more computer-savvy than I am!' isn't taking responsibility; you've just got to know what's out there," says Rebecca. "Talk to other parents and your child's teachers; many schools are more than happy to conduct seminars for parents on how their kids use the internet in school. They would rather you be aware than not be!"

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Flavorful shrimp appetizers are great for holiday get-togethers. If you're looking for a way to keep your time in the kitchen to a minimum during this busy time, this recipe for Moroccan-style shrimp with pomegranate dipping sauce will do the trick. The shrimp adds substance and the pomegranate sauce is festive, colorful and delicious!

Moroccan-style shrimp with pomegranate dipping sauce

Recipe adapted from Ladies Home Journal

Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the shrimp

• 1 pound frozen shrimp, thawed, tails removed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

For the dipping sauce

• 3 cups pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/8 cup lemon juice

Directions:

For the dipping sauce

1. Add the pomegranate juice, honey and lemon juice to a large pan and bring it to a boil. Continue to boil for about 30 minutes, so the sauce thickens slightly and you're left with about 1 cup of the mixture.
2. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.

For the shrimp

1. In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and seasonings. Whisk to mix.
2. Add the mixture to a large, resealable plastic bag and add in the shrimp. Massage the shrimp so the mixture coats the shrimp. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and place in a bowl.
4. In a large skillet over high heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Once hot, add the shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through.
6. Remove, place on a platter and serve with the dipping sauce.

Celebrate the season!

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