Holiday Diet Secrets of the Stars

So how do the stars stay so slim throughout the holiday season?!?! This week’s Us answers that very question. From Kelly Ripa to Lindsay Lohan here are some diet tricks of your favorite stars! Kelly Ripa says that her holiday weakness is eggnog and that she will, “try to go someplace tropical, where I’ll be in a bathing suit. That way, I know at some point I’ll probably be partially naked, so I won’t overindulge.” Here are some of her trimming tactics: thrice-weekly jogs and running around with her 3 young children! Lindsay Lohan will have to make some time to workout despite her busy holiday schedule. According to Lohan, “I’ll do pushups, sit-ups and crunches at night.” Her trainer also encourages her to do cardio everyday and strengthening workouts to round out her routine. Lohan is also “eating healthy,” with oatmeal, salads and turkey often on her menu. Oprah’s diet tricks are also included in the article. She does an hour of cardio six days a week and has a strict no eating past 7:30pm rule that she sticks to. These days, you may find Oprah snacking on sugar free fudge pops or a sliced apple with an ounce of thinly sliced parmesan cheese.

Also looking healthier these days is Ms. Mary-Kate Olsen. After moving back to the West coast, not because of her eating disorder, she is looking happy and better than ever. After a rocky year that had her eating disorder all over the tabloids to the most recent story of her ex Stavros Niarchos III now dating Paris Hilton, MK living healthy and is even up for a film role. With constant support from her family and friends she has continued her treatments for her eating disorder and is happy and healthy once again. This picture was taken at the 9th annual ACE Awards in NYC on November 8th.

In other news…HOTSTUFF reports that Aussies, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are rumored to be engaged. The two were in Washington, D.C., where she is filming The Visiting, to celebrate his birthday. There has also been quite a bit of BLING spotted on her left hand. Don’t be surprised if wedding bells are ringing soon for these two lovebirds…Nick Lachey recently celebrated his 32nd birthday with Jessica and 15 other guests at West Hollywood’s Ago Restaurant on November 11th. On November 9^th, Nick’s actual birthday, Jessica joined him in his hometown of Cincinnati, OH where they celebrated at the Montgomery Inn Boathouse with friends and family. Despite Us trying to make the article seem that Nick had an unhappy birthday, the assistant manager from the Boathouse begs to differ which is probably the actual truth. Once again the media wants us to believe their marriage is falling apart and can’t even let his birthday celebration be a happy occasion. Just so everyone knows, yes the wedding rings were on in the picture taken of the couple outside Ago. To the media…LEAVE THE POOR COUPLE ALONE!!

That’s it for this week!

From Hollywood to Motherhood

For residents of Taos, New Mexico, she’s just their neighbor, but to the rest of us she’s Julia Roberts, one of Hollywood’s leading ladies and graces the cover of this week’s Us. It’s hard to believe that her twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, are already a year old. So what has Julia been up to you wonder… MOTHERHOOD. Julia’s primary focus these days are spending time with her babies and her husband of almost 3 years. She has definitely checked out of the Hollywood spotlight lately, but still makes appearances, like starring in the Dave Matthews Band Dreamgirl video as well as charity work to help raise money for Hurricane Katrina. But her life in Taos is quite different than her life in Hollywood. These days she and husband Danny Moder are like any other couple and have been spotted dining out as well as hitting the local Wal-Mart. In recent weeks even the twins have been at their parent’s side. So what were all the rumors of a possible split between Roberts and Moder…you guessed it…the MEDIA at it 's best. All is well with the couple and sources in the article say they often see the two out on movie dates at the Storyteller Cinema in Taos. So what’s next for Ms. Julia? The article says she’s getting ready to make her Broadway debut in the revival of Richard Greenberg’s play Three Days of Rain where I am sure she will grace the stage as she’s been known to grace the big screen. It’s so nice to see high profile celebrities like Julia to lead a semi-normal life…well to some extent!

It’s yet another moment for the media to get at the Simpson family, but this time it’s all about Ashlee and not big sister Jess. While promoting her new cd I Am Me in Toronto on November 2^nd, Ashlee made a late-night drunken McDonald’s stop and caused quite a scene. Unfortunately for Ms. Simpson, the whole thing was caught on tape and has now been passed along to TV shows and the Internet. In the tape, you will see her climb onto the counter, talk back to an employee and curse at other customers in line. Was it because sister Jessica’s break-up rumors stole the spotlight overshadowing her sophomore album’s release that caused her to lash out at the McDonald’s restaurant or was it simply a newly turned 21 year old simply being well…21?!?! Check it out for yourself right here! Personally, I don’t think Ashlee did this because of her sister as the article suggests, I think it was more geared towards her being intoxicated at 21 like so many other kids her age. Lucky for us, we’re not in the public eye like she is and can do silly things and not get caught like that. I guess that’s the price of fame!

In HOTSTUFF this week, it looks like Leonardo DiCaprio and Gisele Bundchen have finally called it quits after 5 years of an on-again off-again romance. Their biggest issues were their crazy work schedules. Him always on location and her walking the runway and leading the Victoria’s Secret angels rarely had them in the same place at the same time which ultimately according to sources has led to their split. Sources in the article also say the two didn’t trust one another when going out, but who knows how accurate the source really is? I always thought they were such a cute couple and was definitely routing for them over the years. With that said Ladies…Leo is back on the market!

That’s it for this week, but check back soon for another update. If you can’t wait though take a sneak peek!

Britney's Baby Troubles...

Six weeks after Sean Preston arrived, things on the Britney and Kevin homefront don’t seem to be looking so hot. According to this weeks’ Us Weekly, there has been definite trouble since the arrival of their little one. To put things simply, the article suggests that while she’s parenting, he’s partying. Although the couple was seen out on a movie-date to see Elizabethtown on October 30th hand in hand, sources say there has been trouble at home which is why many believe Britney and Sean made a visit to her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana on October 19th without Kevin. While the trip may have been for Britney to bring the baby back home to see some relatives, it may also have been a marriage breather as the article suggests. Caring for the baby 24/7 has definitely seemed to be taking a toll on the couple. Sources in the article say the couple is “fine and happy,” and “she went home for a visit and he had to work in L.A.” But while she was away in Kentwood, Kevin was out partying every night with his “boys.” On October 19th he was at Mood and the next night was spotted in the VIP section of the Cabana Club. And on the 26th Kevin was out partying at Element with the "boys", Ashlee Simpson and friends. He even had a Vegas getaway in the works to celebrate his friend’s birthday, but those plans changed as Britney returned home early to surprise him. After a brief argument, according to the article, it was clear that Kevin wasn’t going anywhere. While Britney may be surprised at Kevin’s behavior, his ex and mother of two of his children, Shar Jackson, said that Britney should have seen this coming and quite frankly I agree. Kevin doesn’t exactly have the best track record. Considering he left his pregnant girlfriend, Jackson, to tour with Spears around Europe in April 2004, and missed the birth of his second child and daughter Kori’s 2nd birthday in July 2004, it doesn’t surprise me that he hasn’t exactly been there for Britney. While Jackson says “I don’t see him cheating on her,” I think it is hard to say. I think he would definitely struggle without her, and I hope for her sake the two are able to communicate and work things out despite his track record in his last relationship. I guess until further notice we must assume that the two are fine as sources say and wait to hear what unfolds in the coming weeks. Also in the coming weeks keep your eyes open for Britney’s surprise album! Yes, it’s true the pop princess is on maternity leave and is looking to release an album entitled B in the Mix: The Remixes very soon. While there has been little to no publicity, mtv.com has said the album will remix many of the songstress’ previous hits. This is just to hold us over I guess until she puts out her next album sometime next year!

While the headline on the cover of this week’s Us reads JESSICA RING OFF! This is true, but for only one picture because in another she clearly is wearing her ring. While Jessica was touring Africa on a charity mission with Operation Smile she was spotted with and without her ring. On October 26th, coincidentally her third wedding anniversary, Jessica arrived in Nairobi, Kenya with her dad, Joe, and hairstylist Ken Paves. Nick was overseas working on his album according to the article. Her mission in Africa is much more noteworthy than whether or not she was wearing her wedding ring in my opinion. While in Kenya, Jessica visited children in hospitals who suffer from facial deformities of which the organization Operation Smile intends to fix. During her five-day stay, she was able to visit with many children as well as take in some of Africa’s wildlife in Nairobi National Park and on safari. Check out people.com for more on Jessica’s African journey.

Finally, in other news…after battling postpartum depression, and Tom Cruise, Brooke Shields is pregnant again and is expecting her second child this spring…Many stars like Hilary Duff, Jack Osbourne, Kelly Monaco, Christina Aguilera, Wilmer Valderrama, Kristin Cavallari and more are participating in Us’s Ebay Katrina Auction! The stars are helping to raise funds for Katrina victims by donating autographed pictures to be auctioned. For more information check out ebay.com.

Check back next week for news on Julia Roberts' life as a mom and her break-up rumors. If you can't wait...take a peek at next week!

The future Mrs. Cruise

From Toledo, Ohio to Tom’s Beverly Hills mansion, Katie Holmes’ has definitely made a name for herself. From her beginnings as Joey Potter on the WB series Dawson’s Creek to her recent seven month whirlwind romance to Hollywood’s biggest star, Us believes Katie’s story is too good to be true and wants to point out a few minor plot holes to her real story. For Katie, according to NBC, “it’s a dream come true.” The starlet seems happy, but many think that she is simply under Tom’s spell. According to sources, his kids like her and as we’ve seen, she does the soccer mom thing pretty well. Us points out some interesting facts like how she dropped her pre-Tom pals, and is she a different person than the Katie Holmes that Martin and Kathy raised in Toeldo? No one other than those close to Katie can really tell, but US also adds that she seems rather scripted in interviews like in her brief TODAY interview from October 31^st, she mentioned how “excited” she was on four different occasions whether it was an “exciting” time for her or the two of them or even how “excited” she is. It’s great that she is “excited” for all that is happening in her life but as the article states, this could come across as rehearsed to many. The article also notes how Katie has dropped out of a starring role in a 2006 production and leaves many to wonder if it had anything to do with encouragement from Tom. At this point I think more of it has to do with her pregnancy than anything else, considering sources are expecting her to have the baby in March. Who knows what side of Katie is the true side, she seems happy and “excited” and I guess that’s all that matters.

This weeks issue didn’t have many other cover stories that caught my eye, so I decided to fill you in on all the gossip in the HOTSTUFF section! There was a small blurb on Sophia Bush and her life with the EX, Chad Michael Murray, considering they still continue to star in and work closely together on the WB series One Tree Hill. Sophia says, “I’m a strong girl. And there are things that I just won’t put up with. I’d never sacrifice my integrity as an actor to make my personal life easier.” You go girl! I think she’s being very professional about the whole situation and whatever came between the two considering their split after only 5 months of marriage.

Also in HOTSTUFF, there is more news on Nick and Jess. According to sources, the couple attended little sister Ashlee album release party, for her new album I Am Me, hand in hand with wedding rings on, but a partygoer claims that once inside Hollywood’s O-Bar, the two may have spoke twice. Kind of a strange that they would barely speak to one another before Jess headed to Africa with her dad to do work with Operation Smile, but you never know who the partygoer source really is. For all we know the whole story was made up and the two are just as happy as they seem to be smiling for the cameras. I wish the media would get over the break-up hype and just be happy for them!

Finally, it looks like Laguna Beach star Kristin Cavallari has just been cast opposite of Al Pacino in an upcoming thriller. Also from this same article in HOTSTUFF, it appears that Laguna will be back for a third season, of which Cavallari will be a part of. It also mentions a possible spinoff for her as well, in which she would narrate and there would be a mix of old cast members and probably some new faces to spice things up a bit. To check out more about Laguna click here!

Well that’s it for now but check back soon to see what’s going on with Britney, Kevin and the baby! If you can’t wait, take a peek!

Bye-Bye Bump!

Yes, Britney has said bye-bye to her bump! Just a month after giving birth to her little one, Sean, Ms. Britney is out in public with her post-baby body and is ready to get back in shape. On October 14th, Britney and Kevin went to lunch at Moonshadows restaurant in Malibu, California making Brit’s first public appearance since having the baby. Rumors estimate that she put on anywhere from 25 to 50 pounds during her pregnancy, but as you can see she is getting back to her pre-baby body and is definitely on the right track as the before and after picture shows! Check out how Britney and other celebrity mom’s are shedding baby weight at people.com.

As you can see, Jessica graces this week’s cover without her hubby, Nick, by her side. The article, which still suggests that the couple is going to split, says that upon their return to the States were sleeping apart. This however, I find hard to believe. To me, it makes sense that while Nick was away in Vegas with his brother for a Hurricane Relief charity auction and benefit, that Jessica would not want to stay in their Calabasas, CA mansion alone and would opt to stay with her best friend and assistant Cacee Cobb. Check out more about the Ubid for Hurricane Relief here. While the media continues to speculate about the couple’s marital status I am definitely leaning more towards them still being a couple. Do you think that this theory makes sense as to why they were “sleeping apart,” I mean obviously they were, she was in California and he was in Vegas what else do people expect? The couple celebrated their third wedding anniversary on October 26th and at least for the moment are still happily married!

So while Nick and Jessica’s relationship has us constantly in question, it looks like Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn have finally come out as a couple and it looks serious since he took her home to meet his mom! On October 14th, Jen, Vince and his mom Sharon had lunch in Vince’s hometown of Lake Forest, Illinois. The two worked together filming The Break Up this summer in Chicago, and while there were plenty of rumors about an off-screen romance, none proved true until the wrap party at Chicago’s House of Blues where it was rumored that the two were dancing and making out. While the romance was kept under wraps for quite some time, it is finally out in the open and I couldn’t be happier for them. I think they are really cute together, don’t you? I find their relationship much more interesting to hear about than Brad and Angelina’s, that’s for sure! I hope there is much more to this romance than a few fun filled weeks in Chicago.

Check back next week for the scoop on the future Mrs. Cruise and more! If you can’t wait though, take a sneak peek!

Will the getaway save their marriage?

So the big question in Hollywood is whether or not Nick and Jessica are still a happy couple. Despite months of speculation with missing wedding rings and such, many are really left to wonder if the two are still an item. Nick and Jess once again grace the cover of this week’s US with a headline that reads; WHAT NOW? Separate bedrooms, money issues, Nick and Jessica go into hiding – WHEN WILL THE COVER-UP END? Last week I wrote about how the two were spotted together in London’s Heathrow airport and it appears that the couple was sent away by her father after a disclosed meeting at his Hollywood home right after the first story broke of the couple’s split. The ten day vacation was unscheduled and to many seems like a last ditch effort to save their marriage. A fellow passenger on their Virgin Atlantic flight from L.A. to London said the two were hand in hand through the airport and barely spoke a word to one another although they made sure to sign autographs and pose, rings showing, for a photographer. Although the article says the two are still a couple according to an October 5th statement released by their publicists, sources close to the couple, his dad for one, are not denying a split. The article quotes his dad as saying, “You will have to let them announce what they want to announce,” which really makes me wonder if the two are actually still together. This statement puts a lot of things into perspective and will make many wonder if all the rumors about a split actually do add up. So if this is the case why haven’t they gone public about their split?? It’s simple…it’s bad for business. The article makes it seem like the marriage is more of a business deal at this point and without it the two may have a difficult time surviving on their own. This too is a valid point since she was always in the shadow of Britney and Christina and he wasn’t exactly a member of the Backstreet Boys or *Nsync. The odds are against them I am afraid and I am finally convinced that this may be the end of Nick and Jess. They do appear to be all smiles from this picture taken of them in Northern Italy just this past Tuesday, but do you think the couple will return from their vacation for better or for worse? Only time will tell I guess.

The other hot story in Hollywood has to do with Katie and Tom’s baby news what else!?!? Six months after they announce themselves as a couple and a whirlwind romance that has Tom jumping around on the Oprah show and an Eiffel tower proposal in June, the happy couple are expecting. On October 9th, Tom apparently asked the cast and crew on the L.A. set of Mission Impossible 3 to stop work and gather round. It was then, four days after his rep confirmed Holmes’ pregnancy, that he grabbed a mic and told everyone that the couple had heard their baby’s heartbeat for the first time the night before. With this said, it is assumed that Holmes is into her second trimester. According to the article, which quotes a Santa Monica obstetrician, “the heartbeat can be heard as early as the 12th week of pregnancy.” With this said, it seems like a Spring delivery is likely. As for now, Katie is getting plenty of practice as step-mom to Tom’s adopted children with ex-wife Nicole Kidman. See for yourself what Katie is saying about her pregnancy by clicking here!

Look what the celebs are doing in Faces & Places…Eva Longoria and basketball boyfriend Tony Parker were smooching and snorkeling in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands on October 8th. Regis Philbin was father of the bride in New York City on October 9th when his daughter Jennifer married NBC producer Michael Schur. Ashton and Demi spent their honeymoon touring around Barcelona, where sources say they looked very much in love following their low-key nuptials. Sheryl Crow played a free concert on 10/2 in Austin, TX to thank the city for supporting her fiancée, Lance Armstrong, through his battle with cancer. The 10/2 has significant meaning for Crow and the Armstrong clan as it was nine years ago that he was diagnosed. Crow dedicated her song ‘Strong Enough’ to Lance who with his children also made an appearance or two on stage throughout the show!

Well that’s about it for now, but check back next week for more Nick and Jess news, Britney’s post baby figure and to see who isn’t hiding their Hollywood romance anymore! If you can’t wait for it though, take a peek!

Nick and Jess SPLIT...or do they?

Contrary to this week’s cover of Us Weekly, Nick and Jess have not, I repeat have not split. Once again the media was wrong despite the latest rumor of their split. The article in Us questions the couple’s relationship on many elements. For one, the couple have been spotted on numerous occasions minus their wedding rings. She has also been blamed for being quite the party animal lately and as always her father and manager, Joe, has only caused the couple more tension according to the story. The last time the two were spotted together was on September 11^th when they sang God Bless America at an NFL game…that is until recently. Just recently, Nick and Jess were photographed in London’s Heathrow Airport headed for a much needed vacation. So while this week’s cover says our favorite newlyweds have split, it simply isn’t so!

In other Simpson news, Jessica’s little sis Ashlee celebrated her 21^st birthda on October 2^nd, Vegas style. The bash was held at Pure,the premier club at Caesar’s Palace. At the stroke of midnight when the songstress officially turned 21, the marquee at Caesar’s, right on the strip, read HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEE! As for presents…her big sis gave her a big Rolex with a pink face and lots of diamonds. Sounds like it was definitely a birthday to remember for Ms. Simpson.

So has anyone seen Hollywood’s latest soccer mom? Yes, it’s true, Katie and Tom are expecting, and from the picture it looks like she may already be showing! The two were out watching Tom’s daughter, Isabella, play soccer on October 1^st in the L.A. area. So what many thought was a publicity stunt upon the couple’s union, may have gone a bit overboard with a baby on the way. Did you think that this was for real from the start? I know I sure was skeptical on many levels, but it looks like maybe they are as madly in love as they appeared to be all summer long.

According to Us Weekly, Paris Hilton is at the center of a few man-stealing situations in Hollywood. Most recently she has been blamed for stealing Mary-Kate’s man, a Greek shipping heir, who coincidentally is worth more than Hilton’s former fiancée Paris Latsis. Since calling off her five month engagement to Latsis, Hilton has reportedly been seen with MK’s ex Stavros Niarchos III. Now Paris isn’t only stealing Mary-Kate’s former flame, but she is also rumored to be the reason that Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush are no longer. According to HOTSTUFF, Sophia overheard a conversation Chad was having with a friend talking of how he had hooked up with Hilton…once while filming the horror flick House of Wax and then another time after he was married. Whether or not HOTSTUFF is correct is up to you to figure out. I know that it is a two way street, but if it is true, I think Paris needs to get a hold of herself. To read more on Paris' man-stealing ways check out this article.

Make sure to check back next week for more Hollywood gossip! If you can't wait until then...take a peek at what's in store for you here!