Who doesn’t love those lazy mornings when there’s no school, the kids are watching a movie or taking a nap, and we actually get to enjoy our cup of coffee and call up a girlfriend to chat!
Today, my coffee chat was even better than usual because I had the pleasure of talking to La La Anthony. Even though she was rushing to catch a flight to Tampa Bay (she’s hosting HSN tonight), she was super friendly and so easy to talk to. It was like chatting with my girlfriend or sister-in-law. La La opened up about motherhood, balancing career and family, and her husband’s new move to the New York Knicks
So who is La La Anthony? If you’re a basketball fan, or grew up watching MTV in the early 2000s, you probably don’t even have to ask.
Born Alania Vazquez, La La got her nickname when she was a radio DJ with rapper Ludarcris. She is a reality show star, actress, former MTV VJ and the wife of NBA star Carmelo Anthony (who I went to high school with, Go TC!!). She’s girlfriends with tennis star Serena Williams, singer Kelly Rowland and Kim Kardashian, and most importantly, mom to her four-year-old son Kiyan. Like any mom, she’s trying to balance it all!
Relocating to New York
If you’ve ever had to relocate across the country because your husband switched jobs, you know how stressful it can be for your family to adjust to a new town. This past February, during the 2010 NBA season Carmelo Anthony was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks. One day he was playing for the Nuggets, the next he was a Knick – and just like that, the Anthony family was on the next flight to New York City.
Eight months later La La says her family is “finally settled in.” Kiyan has started his new school in New York, and they found a place to live. Adjusting to a new school, a new house, and making new friends is a lot for any four year old. But Carmelo and La La are great parents and do all they can to help him with adjusting.
When I asked La La for some advice on helping kids adjust to a new school, she said, “Make sure you hang around the class room for as long as they want you there, make sure they know you are there for them.” And sure enough, after a few days, “Kiyan was kicking Melo and I out of the classroom!”
Along with adjustments, bullying is another thing that every parent worries about. Having two celebrity parents might make it hard for a kid….and yes, even at four years old, his classmates know who his dad is. La La says her and Carmelo “talk to him about how everyone is different, and teach him to be confident, and treat everyone the same.”
The Anthonys are even writing a children’s book coming out next year about bullying, teaching kids healthy self-esteem and TEAMWORK!
But one thing is for sure, there will definitely not be any pressure from these parents to turn their son into the next “Carmelo Anthony.” La La says “Kiyan loves going to practice with his dad, and shooting hoops, but we want him to try everything.” From yoga, to cooking classes, to soccer – whatever Kiyan wants to try, he does!
La La’s Full Court Life
Putting your life on television is something everyone seems to be doing these days, and it’s something that La La and Carmelo considered carefully before letting cameras into their lives.
Although the couple got engaged in December 2005, they didn’t get married until July 10, 2010. La La says they let VH1 document “the fun, and stressful parts of a wedding, and we had an amazing wedding planner Mindy Weiss who helped put it all together.”
When the success of “La La’s Full Court Wedding” left the audience wanting more, La La decided to do another season. She says the series shows “all the different sides of me from wife, to mother, to working mom.”
How does Kiyan feel about the cameras being around? “He thinks we are shooting a movie, he doesn’t mind them “says La La. “And there is no pressure for him to be on camera.”
She Actually Loves Sports!
You can catch La La supporting her man from the sidelines, sitting court side at his games, but she’s not just there for her husband. It turns out this basketball wife “is a REAL fan of the game.”
La La grew up playing basketball, watching basketball and keeping track of the players and the teams. She also enjoys watching tennis, especially when girlfriend Serena Williams is on the court!! And as for football, “if you have a man in your life….of course you are going to have to be a football fan.”
Who does she root for on Sundays? “The Baltimore Ravens, Carmelo is everything about the Ravens,” she says, which makes sense since he grew up in Baltimore. He also plays fantasy football but when I asked if she played, she said “I never thought about it, but that would be a fun way to get involved with football.”
How La La Stays Lovely
For most moms, skin and hair care are important parts their daily routine, and La La is no exception. In fact, she will be on HSN early Friday morning (12 a.m.) promoting “Carol’s Daughter” skin and hair care line, and this is no empty celebrity endorsement. La La explained that she has been using these products for years and absolutely loves them. She says her skin is the best it has ever looked, and “so smooth.”
Working out is also an important part of her routine. La La loves cardio workout DVDs that she can use when she is traveling and in a hotel room. “Staying active for at least 30 minutes a day – either running on the treadmill, popping in a work out DVD, or going on a jog,” is something she tries to do.
Looking To The Future
What’s next for La La? Right now she’s primarily focused on her acting career. “The best start is on stage,” she says. This October, she’ll be performing in the off-Broadway play, “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” based on the book by Ilene Beckerman. Then in January, she’ll be starring in Robert Dinero’s new cop drama on CBS, “2-2.” And this busy lady will also hit the big screen in a new movie based on the best-selling book, “Act Like a Lady Think Like a Man.”
You might even catch her as one of the cast of “Dancing With The Stars.” “I wouldn’t rule it out,” she says. “A lot of my friends have done it, and this season watching Rob Kardashian on it I definitely think it looks like a lot of fun, but also hard work.”
For now, La La, Carmelo and Kiyan are just enjoying each other and having fun exploring their new city as a family.
“We try to find fun things for our family to do together.” she says. “We found the parks he would like, we love watching movies together, we took him to see Spider Man on Broadway, and when we are home relaxing together we love to play board games.”
Don’t miss La La on HSN, tonight at midnight! And of course, tune in to see more of how she balances it all on VH1’s “La La’s Full Court Life,” every Monday at 9 p.m. EST!
(Photo credits: La La in black dress – Deandre Michael, La La on wedding day – bobanddawndavis)
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