Parents.com 8/21/05

The Back-to-School Advice Camila Alves Wants Every Mom to Know

 

It’s that time of year! Your kids are probably super pumped about all of the cool back-to-school gear, but you might be feeling overwhelmed. That’s why we asked designer and Target lifestyle expert Camila Alves for her best advice. As mom to Levi, 7, Vida, 5, and Livingston, 2, Camila knows things can get crazy, so she reveals how to get through (and enjoy!) this time. And don’t miss the dish on how she and hubby Matthew McConaughey are raising bicultural children, plus their best memory from this summer vacation.

P: Having three kids, how do you handle back-to-school all at once?

CA: I have a 2- a 5- and a 7-year-old. They’re on different routines, different personalities. It’s definitely a challenge. One thing that I think is very helpful: Two weeks before school starts, start getting your kids slowly back into a routine. All of a sudden my kids are sleeping in to 9, 10, I’m like “Whoa, when did this happen?” Slowly getting to bed at a certain time, waking up at a certain time, having quiet time in the middle of the day when they can do writing or drawing or reading, so when the first days of school comes it’s not a big surprise for them. Getting back to school or started in school for a first time is really overwhelming—at least it was for me.

P: Is your littlest going school for the first time?

CA: My little guy is going to preschool, but my daughter is starting kindergarten. The vaccination forms, the outfits, the materials, the carpool, it’s so much that goes into it. As a mom, give yourself a break because most likely you’re going to forget something and you’re going to be late for something and it’s ok. They’re gonna be ok. If your child sees you stressing out and being overwhelmed with it then they’re experience is going to be the same. So just have fun with it. And, whatever you can prep the night before do it.

P: Are you big on packing lunches at the beginning of the week?

CA: I always have in the freezer two or three meals. People sometimes think freezing stuff is bad. If you cook the food fresh, put it in the freezer the right way, and defrost it the right way it’s the best because you’re locking in all the ingredients. In case I have a crazy day, or I’m too tired to do it, I can always go in the freezer. I have a bag of rice, a bag of beans, I’ll do a meat sauce, some protein. Warm it up and you have a meal. At the same time I make dinner I’m prepping their lunches for the next day so that by the time we sit down their lunch boxes are done.

P: Do you ever get overwhelmed by the school supply list?

CA: I do it all in one trip. I go to Target I get everything at once. People think I’m crazy because I have three kids, so I’m walking out with a HUGE cart. I get home. I separate them. Done.

P: You recently got your official US passport. Congrats!

CA: Thank you! I had my green card for a long time. I decided to get my American passport, but I still have my Brazilian passport.

P: How do you incorporate your Brazilian culture into raising your kids? Do they feel a sense of heritage?

CA: I do a lot of things for them to have love for Brazil. I love in the morning the ride from home to school I play Brazilian music. When it’s time to watch cartoons, I push them to watch Brazilian cartoons because then they’re trying to act like those characters. And the food. My kids looooove Brazilian food. They’re so excited about it. You know when you to Brazilian steakhouses they hold the meat and they cut it up? My son [Levi] does that all the time. We try to speak Portuguese as much as we can. My mom used to live with me, and it was easier because she and I were speaking Portuguese the whole time. Now that she doesn’t anymore I have to make a conscious decision. It’s just a lot little things.

P: What’s the best parenting advice you ever received?

CA: That it goes fast. I remember when I was pregnant I heard that 10,000 times to the point that I was like, “Oh, I’m so over it. Enough already.” And then became a parent and I’m like, “You know what? They were right.” Another thing, too, is a lot of times our kids are stronger and smarter than we can ever imagine. A lot of parents sometimes don’t give the kids the credit.

P: In terms of time going by quickly, what’s the favorite memory you all made this summer?

CA: This summer we were in Thailand. Matthew was working there so when he goes to work we all go. It was a challenge for me because my workday would start at 9pm and go all night, but for the kids it was an experience. We bathed the elephants in the river. We went kayaking in caves. Rock climbing. We got to go to Cambodia and to the orphanages and schools—that’s my nicest memory I have.

http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xd/470220672.mp4?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=E6C32585929DF674AEFAA4A0FC07C647D6D7111452E48A17EB8A6DFF97FCDC63038CA3D72BE84463

 

Camila Alves at  Target

INTERVIEW - Camila Alves on what brings her out tonight, on her Lily Pulitzer dress, on Lily Pulitzer's resort chic feel, on the bright colors, on looking forward to buying clothes for her little girl, on why she loves Target, on being from Brazil and Credit:  Getty Images Video

 

http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/video/camila-alves-at-the-lilly-pulitzer-for-target-event-at-news-footage/470225144

Getting over my fear of snakes my little girl is helping me out! ;-)#backinasia #fbf

 

Camila Alves Reveals Busy-Mom Beauty Tips

Camila Alves is a busy mom of three; however, there's always time to get pampered. Check out some of her beauty tips. Courtesy

As a model, a designer, an actress and a mother of three, Camila Alves knows exactly what it is to be a busy mom. Often times, mothers forget about themselves, putting their children and family first. But getting pampered once in a while never hurt anyone, and it's only fair and necessary to those hard-working moms, especially on Mother's Day!

That's when Brazilian bombshell and wife of Matthew McConaughey, Camila, steps in, to reveal some of her best beauty tips for the busy mom.

To start off, Alves, who is a Target partner, said she always had red lipstick in her purse. "A deep red is easier to match with outfits, and I love applying a little color to my lips or a black pencil to the inside of my eyes to freshen up my look in seconds!," she said in an interview with Target.

She also revealed one of her favorite skin products is homemade. "I love mixing dark honey and brown sugar to create a homemade body scrub. After applying, let the scrub set on your body for a minute or so to allow your skin to soak up all the good stuff!," Alves said.

As for her must-have products for different occasions, the 33-year-old Mrs. McConaughey likes the following:

• Every day errands: Mascara, bronzer and lip moisturizer  

At-home dinner party: Bronzer and natural color lipstick 

Date night:  A lip color that accents your natural lip color. Trust me, you want your date looking at your lips! 

Gala: Body lotion with a little shimmer 

Camila Alves'kids enjoying a ride on boat in Cambodia

 

Floating village in Cambodia... they move as the river moves...‪#‎backinasia‬

 

Camila looks her best as a true natural brunette.

 

Mom Who Inspires: Camila Alves 

 

All week, we're spotlighting celebrities who have experienced a profound shift from motherhood, and are now using that transformation to be the change they want to see in the world. Next up: Camila Alves.

Brazilian model Camila Alves is a knockout all on her own, but when the talented beauty steps out with her Oscar-winning husband Matthew McConaughey and their three adorable children (Livingston, 2, Vida, 5, and Levi, 6), well, cue the "aww's." But when she's not spending time with that picture-perfect family of hers, she can often be found partaking in something else close to her heart. Together with McConaughey, they run the Just Keep Livin Foundation, dedicated to empowering high-school students by providing them with the tools to lead active lives. She sat down with us to chat about what the charity means to her, her growing family, and the secret to being a good mother and  wife. 

What does this foundation mean to you?

Matthew and I are extremely passionate about it. We started the Just Keep Livin Foundation together about eight years ago and it’s been extremely successful. The amount of lives that we’ve changed and the way that they have been changed has surpassed our expectation way more than we ever expected it to.

How so?

I get emotional talking about it because even here you see the kids are here today – I’m a mother of three I can’t talk with kids. We started [the program] as nutrition-- it’s exercise, it’s nutrition and budget, it’s a gratitude circle, it’s giving back but what we didn’t realize is that by doing that, it really takes them to a completely different perspective that they’ve never been exposed to. Things that we take for granted, like kids that have never even taken a bus across town. So they start to see those things and they really change their lives and they can focus on doing better and being better.

All of a sudden they look at their environment—those kids are so used to seeing this is what it is this, this is what life is, so I have no way out of it, so I’m just going to get into drugs, I’m just going to get into gangs, stay at home and get overweight and not do anything with my life because I don’t have any supervision, my parents are working to try to pay for the bills because they can barely pay for it and what am I going to do? No inspiration to push to do anything else, which we had from our parents, right? And it’s not that the parents don’t want to it’s cause they can’t and they try but they’re just too busy trying to put food on the table. The kids get exposed to so much and all of a sudden you see it and you get the families to come in and talk about how much they change and how much they overcome and how much they’re changing their families and their families habits and it’s a lot. It’s pretty neat. 

RELATED: Mom Who Inspires: Jessica Alba

Matthew talked to me about what is the secret to being a good husband and father; what’s your secret to being a good wife and being a good mother?

You have to pick your battles on what really matters and what doesn’t. You gotta be flexible. And just really not try to change each other. As the days, the years, the weeks pass by I think it’s always important to remember why did we get here in the first place, you know? Why did we fall in love with each other in the first place--and with that knowledge you try to keep that going somehow.

How would you describe your personal style?

When you're a mother of three, I'm lucky if I get to brush my hair in the morning! It's more about what I can get done or not. I try to keep it basic and add in a few accessories. 

What are your plans for Mother's Day? 

My only requests are to be with the family and to celebrate. I don’t want to make any decisions, and I don’t want to wash any dishes!

 

 

 What a event tonight with ‪#‎Vogue‬ and Target! ‪#‎TargetStyle‬‪#‎TargetPartner‬

 

Uma Thurman looks sleek in black while stepping out for the 2015 Couture Council Luncheon honoring Manolo Blahnik held at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center on Wednesday afternoon (September 9) in New York City.

The 45-year-old actress was joined on the carpet by Camila Alves, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, Anna Wintour, Martha Stewart, and Petra Nemcova.

Uma presented the designer with an award for his longstanding dedication to superior craftsmanship and innovative design.

FYI: Camila is wearing a Georges Hobeika jumpsuit, Kurt Geiger shoes, Moniker Viander jewels, and a Target clutch.

Read more: http://www.justjared.com/2015/09/09/uma-thurman-presents-manolo-blahnik-with-award-in-nyc/#ixzz3lJ6lkNSd

 

 

 

 

 

 

TargetStyle in Vogue Event, New York Fashion Week

 

Stunning in coral: Camila Alves was a stunner in bright coral with gold accents

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3228979/Emily-Ratajkowski-flashes-underwear-lace-trousers-leads-glamour-TargetStyle-event-bold-orange-super-plunging-ensemble.html#ixzz3lLRKbaUn 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

Camila Alves – Target Style in Vogue at Cedar Lake in New York City, September 2015

 

 

Camila Alves Polishes Up the Ponytail: The Case for a Slick Middle Part 

 On the heels of a steady stream of perfect summer ponytails, Camila Alves gave the easiest of hair upgrades a razor-sharp makeover for the Couture Council Awards Luncheon in Manhattan yesterday. Slicked neatly down the middle, her sun-streaked waves were bound low at the nape into a bushy extreme ponytail. It’s a deceptively effortful look that channels all the clean glamour of a graphic part without forgetting the sheer joy of healthy, past-the-shoulder-blade hair. Her makeup also played hard and soft elements off each other, with her sculpted cheekbones and kohl-rimmed eyes standing out against fresh pink lips and a tawny allover glow. Looks like fall’s stepped-up polish is a balancing act.

 

   

 

 

 

InStyle Magazine 9/11/15

Camila Alves on the One Trait You Need to Be a Successful Entrepreneur
Starting a business is, without exception, a risky and difficult career decision, but according to Camila Alves, who launched the handbag company Muxo with her mom, achieving success is possible if you're persistent. In the video above, the model-turned-designer elaborates on the traits she believes entrepreneurs need to be successful.
"You have to be very persistent. You can’t be afraid of 'no'—you’re going to hear a lot of it," Alves says about beginning her company. Keeping a positive attitude is important, but so is understanding the ins and outs of your product. "You need to be able to know your product from beginning to end again on a 360 level. If you’re not that kind of person but you have a great idea or a great product you need to surround yourself with those kinds of people."

InStyle Magazine 9/15/15  

 

 

Camila Alves on What Inspires Her to Keep Going

In addition to being married to one of the most successful actors in Hollywood and raising three children, Camila Alves is also a model-turned-designer; she and her mother founded the handbag company Muxo together. In the above interview, Alves shares the inspiring story that convinced her to keep her business going after having kids.The Brazilian born designer, who is married to Matthew McConaughey, is the first to admit that her rise to entrepreneurship wasn't easy. "Very hard, not simple, and a lot of work put into it," she says of her career trajectory. Alves then goes on to tell the story of a boy who wrote a letter to her about his mother who was sick with cancer and only wanted a Muxo handbag for her birthday. After sending her one, along with a photo and a handwritten letter, Alves received a photo and letter in return. "I never really understand that actually, a product, or a sense of fashion, or something that sometimes we don't look [at] in that way, can actually affect people. So that story completely changed how I looked at what I was doing."

InStyle Magazine 9/16/15

 

Camila Alves on How Being a Mother Made Her Better at Business 

There's no doubt that becoming a mother is a life-changing experience, but who knew that it would influence the way you run a business? Camila Alves, wife to actor Matthew McConaughey and co-owner of handbag company Muxo, says that motherhood completely altered her business mentality.

"Being a mother made me more patient, for sure," Alves says in the above interview. "You start paying attention more to the important details. So the ones that don't really matter, you kind of let it go. Because first you don't have the time for it, as being a mom, and second of all you understand that, you know, your measure of things—what's important, what's not—really changes when you have a child."

InStyle Magazine 9/18/15
 
Camila Alves on How Her Business Is an Extension of Herself
When you start your own business, your blood, sweat, and tears go into it, something that Camila Alves knows to be true. The model started a line of handbags, Muxo, with her mother, and in the interview above with PowerwomenTV she talks all about how she injects her own self into the brand.
"I would say it's an extension of me and my mother, more than anything," Alves says. Mom Fatima designed handbags for more than 30 years before co-founding Muxo, and Alves admits that everything she learned, she learned from her mother. "Now that we're doing it together, that I'm getting to learn so much of it, so it's really an extension of all of that."
But it's also the model's own role as a mother that has influenced her collections. "I'm a mother of three. I'm traveling. Women today are busy, they're more busy than they've ever been," she says. "We don't have time—we get lucky if we brush our hair and get out the door. What we try to do is always create something that will fit the life of women today since it has changed so much."