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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Exclusive: Amanda Seyfried on the New 'Mamma Mia'—and Why She's Going to Target for Her 40th Birthday
When it comes to family travel, Amanda Seyfried is not about sugarcoating reality. 'I literally try not to travel with my kids because it's stressful,' the actress told Travel + Leisure about her daughter Nina, 8, and son Thomas, 4. Case in point: While flying back home to New York after visiting her sister in Los Angeles, her son threw up for the first time in his life—in the middle of a flight. 'We were still two hours from landing and he had just eaten lasagna, so just imagine,' she said. He also vomited again on the car ride home, and to make matters worse, Seyfried caught the stomach bug herself once she was home. Seyfried said there's "literally no secret' to surviving a long flight with kids, and admits it's often all about keeping her youngest one occupied on a device. She opted for the Amazon Kindle Fire, which "you can throw around and [it] won't break.' Her first-hand experiences are exactly what inspired the Mamma Mia star to create the Make it Cute Playhouse Experience at Philadelphia's The Bellevue hotel. Designed for families with young ones, the suite stay includes a welcome kit, Levain cookies, valet parking, and most importantly, an assembled plastic-free playhouse from Make It Cute, the company Seyfried founded with her childhood friends in 2021. The best part? Families can take the playhouse home with them when they check out. 'Any good hotel makes you feel like there's a familiarity and coziness,' Seyfried said. 'Having these really cute playhouses is incredibly distracting for the kids, so the parents can unpack and have some semblance of peace—not to say that you don't have peace when you have kids, but it's harder to find.' She says the play houses don't just give kids something to do, but that it also gives little ones their own space since, "hotel rooms just aren't geared for kids to have fun.' Seyfried grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a small city about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and was excited to collaborate on a project with such an iconic property in her home state. Located in Philly's tony City Center neighborhood, The Bellevue was founded in 1904, and was once considered one of the most glamorous and luxurious hotels in the country. 'I love collaborating with something that's so Philly, born and bred," she said of The Bellvue. "It's such a beloved landmark." She hopes the hotel package will help ease the burdens of traveling with children—something she's been doing ever since becoming a mother. In fact, she filmed "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" on location right after her daughter was born. 'She doesn't remember any of it, but she turned six months when we were on the island of Vis in Croatia,' Seyfried said. 'It was just crazy to have a baby in a tiny village on an island—we had to bring all of our diapers beforehand!'Aisle or window? in your hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania?You can't visit Allentown without going to Mary Ann Donut Kitchen and Yocco's hot dogs. You just can' spot where you live in Upstate New York?Overlook Mountain in Woodstock, because you can hike to the top, and then go up the water tower, where you can see all of the Catskills—sometimes even further. You're just on top of the world up there. It's magic. There's also an abandoned hotel that's [made of only] stone halfway through the place you've filmed?It's a hard one, but I think I have to say Skopelos, Greece, for "Mamma Mia." Verona for "Letters to Juliet" was also a really beautiful place to live, and I found it to be so welcoming and warm, and the food was epic. It's a very livable city, and every perfect little town in Italy has a do you hope the third 'Mamma Mia' will film?It's going to go back to Greece. I know that, not for a fact, but it will. We need to bring it home. But it would be so fun if "Mamma Mia 3" filmed on a new island in Greece or Croatia where I haven't been has been a big part of Seyfried's daughter's life from an early age. They've mostly centered around Seyfried's work, plus occasional family trips. 'It's just so easy to travel with her now,' Seyfried admits. 'She's 8, but she's like a little adult.' Their first true family vacation was to Budapest, and they even brought their dog, who had to travel with 80 pounds of special JustFoodForDogs meals. They also considered taking their bearded dragon along, but ultimately decided against it. 'My second kid is a pandemic baby, and it was wild bringing him overseas last year,' she said. 'It was a pain to get there, but everything falls away once you land and you're like, 'We live in a crazy, beautiful world with a lot of amazing people.'' Once the family was there and settled in, Seyfried realized that the Hungarian capital was pretty kid-friendly, and she loved taking her children to its beautiful parks. Seeing her kids interact with other children was especially moving to her. "You realize that kids have the capacity to relate and can communicate with anybody," Seyfried said. "It was just the most beautiful thing in the world ... Kids need to see things, meet people, and swim in oceans and engage in things that aren't home.' When she was a child herself, Seyfried developed a deep love for travel, especially for trains. One time, after driving to Florida from Allentown, the Seyfried family took the Auto Train back. 'I just remember thinking, this is heaven on Earth, because we're just going so fast from south to north, with our big minivan on the train somewhere,' she said. She still loves trains and takes the Amtrak weekly from her upstate home to New York City. She enjoys watching the views along the Hudson River. 'If you get the right seat, getting into the city that way is just so romantic,' Seyfried said. She's also a fan of the 'beautiful' new Moynihan Train Hall, where she likes to pick up mini-cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery for her kids. But despite being a certified world traveler, when it comes to her 40th birthday, she's planning on keeping it local. 'I'm gonna travel 25 minutes to my local Target,' she said. 'My friends are coming in from the city, all girls—no offense, boys—and we're going to get brunch and get a little tipsy. I'm gonna have cash on hand for everybody, and they have to spend it all. That's my plan. Everybody who's invited knows about it!' Even though she's staying in town for her birthday, Seyfried knows the transformative power that travel can have—and she wants her kids to experience it as much as they can. 'I'm entering a period of my life where I am responsible for making sure my family travels, but I just feel like there's never a right time because of work,' she said. 'But I know once we land in the Serengeti, Tokyo, Oslo, or Buenos Aires, it'll be just epic. With kids, it doesn't ever feel like the right time. Just book the tickets and travel.' Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
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Travel + Leisure
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
Exclusive: Amanda Seyfried on the New 'Mamma Mia'—and Why She's Going to Target for Her 40th Birthday
When it comes to family travel, Amanda Seyfried is not about sugarcoating reality. 'I literally try not to travel with my kids because it's stressful,' the actress told Travel + Leisure about her daughter Nina, 8, and son Thomas, 4. Case in point: While flying back home to New York after visiting her sister in Los Angeles, her son threw up for the first time in his life—in the middle of a flight. 'We were still two hours from landing and he had just eaten lasagna, so just imagine,' she said. He also vomited again on the car ride home, and to make matters worse, Seyfried caught the stomach bug herself once she was home. Seyfried said there's "literally no secret' to surviving a long flight with kids, and admits it's often all about keeping her youngest one occupied on a device. She opted for the Amazon Kindle Fire, which "you can throw around and [it] won't break.' Her first-hand experiences are exactly what inspired the Mamma Mia star to create the Make it Cute Playhouse Experience at Philadelphia's The Bellevue hotel. Designed for families with young ones, the suite stay includes a welcome kit, Levain cookies, valet parking, and most importantly, an assembled plastic-free playhouse from Make It Cute, the company Seyfried founded with her childhood friends in 2021. The best part? Families can take the playhouse home with them when they check out. 'Any good hotel makes you feel like there's a familiarity and coziness,' Seyfried said. 'Having these really cute playhouses is incredibly distracting for the kids, so the parents can unpack and have some semblance of peace—not to say that you don't have peace when you have kids, but it's harder to find.' She says the play houses don't just give kids something to do, but that it also gives little ones their own space since, "hotel rooms just aren't geared for kids to have fun.' Amanda with her daughter Nina while in Croatia in 2017. Seyfried grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a small city about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and was excited to collaborate on a project with such an iconic property in her home state. Located in Philly's tony City Center neighborhood, The Bellevue was founded in 1904, and was once considered one of the most glamorous and luxurious hotels in the country. 'I love collaborating with something that's so Philly, born and bred," she said of The Bellvue. "It's such a beloved landmark." She hopes the hotel package will help ease the burdens of traveling with children—something she's been doing ever since becoming a mother. In fact, she filmed "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" on location right after her daughter was born. 'She doesn't remember any of it, but she turned six months when we were on the island of Vis in Croatia,' Seyfried said. 'It was just crazy to have a baby in a tiny village on an island—we had to bring all of our diapers beforehand!' Amanda in Greece. Aisle or window? Window. Must-visit in your hometown of Allentown, Pennsylvania? You can't visit Allentown without going to Mary Ann Donut Kitchen and Yocco's hot dogs. You just can't. Favorite spot where you live in Upstate New York? Overlook Mountain in Woodstock, because you can hike to the top, and then go up the water tower, where you can see all of the Catskills—sometimes even further. You're just on top of the world up there. It's magic. There's also an abandoned hotel that's [made of only] stone halfway through the hike. Favorite place you've filmed? It's a hard one, but I think I have to say Skopelos, Greece, for "Mamma Mia." Verona for "Letters to Juliet" was also a really beautiful place to live, and I found it to be so welcoming and warm, and the food was epic. It's a very livable city, and every perfect little town in Italy has a river. Where do you hope the third 'Mamma Mia' will film? It's going to go back to Greece. I know that, not for a fact, but it will. We need to bring it home. But it would be so fun if "Mamma Mia 3" filmed on a new island in Greece or Croatia where I haven't been yet. Jet-setting has been a big part of Seyfried's daughter's life from an early age. They've mostly centered around Seyfried's work, plus occasional family trips. 'It's just so easy to travel with her now,' Seyfried admits. 'She's 8, but she's like a little adult.' Their first true family vacation was to Budapest, and they even brought their dog, who had to travel with 80 pounds of special JustFoodForDogs meals. They also considered taking their bearded dragon along, but ultimately decided against it. 'My second kid is a pandemic baby, and it was wild bringing him overseas last year,' she said. 'It was a pain to get there, but everything falls away once you land and you're like, 'We live in a crazy, beautiful world with a lot of amazing people.'' Once the family was there and settled in, Seyfried realized that the Hungarian capital was pretty kid-friendly, and she loved taking her children to its beautiful parks. Seeing her kids interact with other children was especially moving to her. "You realize that kids have the capacity to relate and can communicate with anybody," Seyfried said. "It was just the most beautiful thing in the world ... Kids need to see things, meet people, and swim in oceans and engage in things that aren't home.' When she was a child herself, Seyfried developed a deep love for travel, especially for trains. One time, after driving to Florida from Allentown, the Seyfried family took the Auto Train back. 'I just remember thinking, this is heaven on Earth, because we're just going so fast from south to north, with our big minivan on the train somewhere,' she said. She still loves trains and takes the Amtrak weekly from her upstate home to New York City. She enjoys watching the views along the Hudson River. 'If you get the right seat, getting into the city that way is just so romantic,' Seyfried said. She's also a fan of the 'beautiful' new Moynihan Train Hall, where she likes to pick up mini-cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery for her kids. Running around with her dog Finn in Upstate N.Y. But despite being a certified world traveler, when it comes to her 40th birthday, she's planning on keeping it local. 'I'm gonna travel 25 minutes to my local Target,' she said. 'My friends are coming in from the city, all girls—no offense, boys—and we're going to get brunch and get a little tipsy. I'm gonna have cash on hand for everybody, and they have to spend it all. That's my plan. Everybody who's invited knows about it!' Even though she's staying in town for her birthday, Seyfried knows the transformative power that travel can have—and she wants her kids to experience it as much as they can. 'I'm entering a period of my life where I am responsible for making sure my family travels, but I just feel like there's never a right time because of work,' she said. 'But I know once we land in the Serengeti, Tokyo, Oslo, or Buenos Aires, it'll be just epic. With kids, it doesn't ever feel like the right time. Just book the tickets and travel.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Amanda Seyfried On Her Favorite Eco-Conscious Gifts for Moms and Kids, From $20 Bullet Journals to Plastic-Free Playhouses
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission. Fresh off starring in Peacock's TV adaptation of Liz Moore's novel, Long Bright River, Amanda Seyfriend sits down with The Hollywood Reporter again — this time to share her go-to gifts for Earth Day (April 22) and Mother's Day (May 11). More from The Hollywood Reporter The 40+ Best Deals at Amazon's Summer Beauty Sale, From Hollywood Pro-Approved Skin-Care Devices to Luxe Airwrap Alternatives These Viral Collagen Masks Are on Sale for Amazon's Summer Beauty Event New Labubu Alert: Score the Bag Charm Worn by Blackpink's Lisa, Dua Lipa and More Among the 39-year-old Emmy winner's eco-friendly picks is Make It Cute, a design-minded brand of recyclable kids playhouses and decor kits co-founded with childhood best friends Anne Hoehn and Maureen North. 'At Make It Cute, we're on a mission to create plastic-free, sustainable play that feels magical and meaningful,' the Mean Girls star and mom of two tells THR. 'I started the company with my two best friends because we wanted kids to experience the joy of imagination without all the plastic waste. For every playhouse purchased, we plant a tree in partnership with — it's our way of helping the planet while inspiring play.' Seyfried, who lives on an animal-filled farm in the Catskills and still maintains her farmhouse-inspired New York City apartment, infused her countryside-inspired design sensibilities into the brand. Children's book illustrator and trianed architect Sophia Vincent Guy is the artist and surface designer behind the charming cottages and farmhouses. The company's pthalate-free cardboard houses take less than a minute to set up and are equally effortless to break down, flatten and stow away. (This shopping editor and her kids have been fans since the brand launched in 2024.) The brand is also teaming up with chic Philadelphia hotel The Bellevue for a family-friendly Make It Cute Playhouse Experience package that includes cookies from Levain Bakery, in-room welcome amenities, complimentary valet parking and a pre-assembled farmouse playset in the suite. Ahead, Seyfried reveals the leather-free bullet journal she carries 'everywhere,' the Brooklyn-based brand that makes her favorite (and affordable) scent stand-ins for Le Labo, the under-$20 jewelry that encourages kids to love the environment and more finds. Bonus: All of the brands boast planet- and people-friendly certifications, including B Corp., 1% for the Planet, Climate Neutral and cruelty-free status. $165 $220 25% off Buy at Make It Cute Make It Cute designs screen-free, plastic-free toys using recyclable materials, all while supporting reforestation efforts through its partnership with Canopy Project. And during the month of April, save 25 percent sitewide with code EARTHDAY25. $17 at Fahlo 'This is my new favorite birthday gift to give to other kids. It's fun, educational and helps protect endangered species. Each bracelet tracks a real animal, and it makes kids feel like they're part of something bigger.' Fahlo partners with wildlife organizations such as Saving Animals from Extinction, Georgia Aquarium, Snow Leopard Conservancy, FIU Marine Conservation Ecology Lab and more to fund conservation efforts, with each bracelet connecting the wearer to a real tracked animal. $48 at Mate 'I wear Mate on set constantly — it's cozy, clean and cool. I love knowing it's made with non-toxic dyes and sustainable fabrics.' Founded by designer Kayti Carr in Los Angeles, Mate uses GOTS-certified organic fabrics, low-impact dyes and climate-conscious processes and uses no plastic in its labels and packaging. The Climate Neutral-certified label says it doesn't use polyester, nylon or polyamide in its garments; stars such as Alessandra Ambrosio and Bella Thorne. $595 and up $700 and up 15% off Buy Sateen Bed Bundle 'Their bedding is so soft and breathable, and it's all Oeko-Tex Standard 100-certified, which gives me peace of mind at night — literally.' Parachute is known for its sateen, linen, percale and waffle knit bed and bath essentials made of organic cotton, Tencel Lyocell, recycled polyester and other environmentally-conscious, GOTS- or GRS-certified fabrics. The brand Climate Neutral certified. $19.99 $21.95 9% off Buy at Amazon 'I carry one everywhere. They're beautifully made and completely vegan — plus, every notebook supports wildlife conservation.' Dingbats notebooks are made from FSC-certified paper and vegan materials, with proceeds supporting animal conservation efforts. $78.40 $98 20% off Buy at Blueland 'I'm working on completely cutting single-use plastic from my cleaning routine thanks to Blueland. Their refill system is genius.'The certified B Corp and Climate Neutral company eliminates plastic waste with refillable bottles and water-activated cleaning tablets formulated with non-toxic ingredients. On offer are all-purpose, bathroom and glass/mirror cleaners, foaming hand soaps, dish and laundry tablets and starter kits ith reusable spray bottles, soap dispensers and metal storage The Best Amazon Alternatives for Shopping Online $50 at Pura 'I love gifting these for Mother's Day — they make your house smell like a spa and you can control them from your phone.' Pura uses ethically sourced, non-toxic fragrance blends with refillable cartridges for less waste. Shop at Element Brooklyn 'Their hand soaps smell just like Le Labo — and their candles are refillable, which is a game changer.' Element Brooklyn offers refillable home essentials made in small batches with clean, eco-friendly ingredients. $14.95 $17.95 17% off Buy at Amazon 'My kids basically live in these soft, safe and GOTS-certified organic cotton pajamas. I trust Burt's Bees completely.' $54 at Sand CLoud 'Sand Cloud's towels are super absorbent, so pretty and made from recycled materials. Plus, a portion of each sale goes to marine conservation, which is close to my heart. And the company was founded by three best friends, just like Make It Cute!' The company supports ocean preservation while using sustainable textiles like recycled polyester and organic cotton. $185 and up at Nordstrom 'Perfect for playtime — cushiony, washable and made from natural materials. We've had ours for years.' Toki Mats are made from organic cotton, natural latex and other non-toxic materials for safer play and a healthier planet. $200 $259 23% off Buy at Newton Baby 'As a mom, I care deeply about what my kids sleep on. These mattresses are breathable, washable, and free of harsh chemicals.'Newton mattresses are Greenguard Gold Certified, made with recyclable, non-toxic materials and no foam or adhesives. Shop at Bare Mum 'I gift Bare Mum to all the new moms in my life — it's thoughtful, supportive and everything is made with clean, gentle ingredients. It's an Australian brand I really love, and you can find the full care kit at both Emilia George store locations, which makes it easy to grab something beautiful and useful for a friend.'Bare Mum is founded by moms and uses organic cotton, cruelty-free ingredients and sustainable packaging to support postpartum recovery. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
