I want to start this post off by thanking iVillage for the opportunity to guest blog on your site for my “Diary of a Spy Mom” blog series. I am writing a few entries about the film and the parallels to my own life as a working (and very pregnant!) mother. Hope you enjoy these.

Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D (which opens on Aug. 19) is my first foray into a true family film. I wanted to do something my 3-year-old daughter Honor could watch. On top of that, the opportunity came to me at a perfect time in my life from a thematic point of view, something I think many moms reading iVillage can relate to: the idea that we’re stretched so thin in our daily lives as mothers and how to achieve balance — if there is such a thing, LOL.

While shooting Machete, our second film together, director Robert Rodriguez came up with the idea of a new Spy Kids film. We discussed, among other things, the challenges of going back to work after having a child, which is very much a theme for my retired Spy Kids mom character. But Robert will credit Honor’s exploding diaper on the set of Machete as having really sparked the lightbulb for the return of the Spy Kids series, LOL. After that incident, he began to write my role for a new film and a new set of spy kids, played amazingly by newcomers Mason Cook and Rowan Blanchard.

Trying to work, be a mom and wife and do it all perfectly with a smile is tough as heck. In fact, it feels nearly impossible sometimes. As much as I try to prepare and have everything planned out, there are moments where I haven’t packed enough outfits, toys, snacks, pacifiers, burp cloths or some other necessity to avoid baby meltdown. And Honor will vomit, poop, pee or some combination, and I’ll only have one diaper left. I’ll make do with a diaper and a blanket, but I feel like I look like a bad mom. No matter how prepared you are as a mom I’ve found that you’re always going to make mistakes. And most crushingly, I always feel like I should be doing more.

We had a lot of fun incorporating some of these themes into Spy Kids. (My character) Marissa is a first-time mother with two stepkids who are very critical of her and a husband she barely gets to see because he’s always working. She tries desperately to please them all. I think she’s relatable to moms who are trying to do it all and want it to seem like everything is going according to plan.  ;)

One of my favorite scenes was shooting the action sequence where I’m on my last mission before retiring to be a full-time mom. I’m full term and going into labor in the midst of a chase sequence where I have to save the world — ONE LAST TIME — before throwing in the towel. It’s obviously silly and light and not showing the “real” side of active labor, but I got a kick out of waddling around with a big (fake) belly, kicking butt.

Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson have signed on to voice characters in the family-friendly Escape from Planet Earth.

The Weinstein Company and Rainmaker Entertainment announced the voice cast for their tale of an alien breakout from Area 51 Tuesday.

Fraser will play the film’s hero Scorch Supernova, who, along with his brother Gary (Corddry) must go to Earth to save trapped aliens.  Parker voices Kira, Gary’s wife, while Alba will portray the no-nonsense Lena and Gandolfini serves as the film’s bad guy, Shanker.

The film, which is currently in production, is helmed by Cal Brunker (Despicable Me) and set for a 2012 release.

“A successful animated movie starts with an imaginative story and appealing characters,” Catherine Winder, president and executive producer at Rainmaker Entertainment, said in a statement. “The addition of such high caliber voice talent is a crucial layer to the mix.  With the amazing array of talented artists and creatives from both The Weinstein Company and Rainmaker collaborating on this production, we have all the right ingredients to make Escape from Planet Earth a highly entertaining and successful film.” (The Hollywood Reporter)

Jessica Alba has received a nomination for Favorite Movie Actress – Drama/Adventure for her role as Sartana in Machete. She’s up against Penelope Cruz, Zoë Saldana, Machete co-star Michelle Rodriguez and Rosario Dawson.

The show, which honors Latinos in the entertainment field, will be hosted by Eva Longoria and George Lopez and air live on NBC on September 16. Head over to Almaawards.com to cast your votes.

A very glamorous and glowing Jessica Alba appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno yesterday (July 25) to promoto Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World. She also talked about her second pregnancy, disciplining daughter Honor and much more. As always Jessica kept the fans up-to-date tweeting the follow:

W my lovely glam team backstage @jayleno -@mrbradgoreski @RobertRamosProd & @lauren_andersen! http://yfrog.com/h3jfjwvj

Thx everyone who tuned into #thetonightshow w @jayleno. Sue is hilarious best “sexpert” ever and love Gomez! Gr8 Band.

Robert Rodriguez stopped by EW’s VIP Comic-Con lounge to talk about a few (or many) of his upcoming projects: Sin City 2, two Machete sequels, a Heavy Metal remake, and a Fire and Ice adaptation. Phew.

But you read right — on Thursday night, Rodriguez announced he would be planning a Sin City sequel. And the director tells EW that the film will focus in part on the A Dame to Kill For storyline, which would involve characters played by Clive Owen and Mickey Rourke in the first film. Rodriguez hopes the two stars will be back — along with big names for two more storylines he plans to create for the film. Who is he hoping will jump on board? Rodriguez is keeping mum at this point, but it depends on scheduling: “Availability is going to be key,” he says.

Also on tap is a third Machete film to follow the already-written sequel to the 2010 Danny Trejo film. And Machete 3 hopes to defy gravity. Rodriguez says he sees the third film taking place in space, and plans to air a trailer for the third film ahead of Machete 2. “It’s very Moonraker,” he says. (Entertainment Weekly)

A radiant Jessica Alba was all smiles as she hosted the Lucky Magazineand ThisNext partnership celebration in Pacific Palisades, CA on Wednesday (July 20).

The expectant actress — who happens to be the cover girl for the August issue of Lucky — purred in a leopard print dress by Dolce & Gabbana as she rubbed elbows with the likes of Jordana Brewster, Leslie Bibb and Ali Landry at the girls-only event.

Before heading out, Jessica tweeted: “I’m about 2 get ready 4 my LuckyMag party benefitting @baby2baby! What color nail polish should I wear? Smokey eye or bright lip?”

Meanwhile, Jessica recently made headlines after she admitted to having explored her sexuality off-screen only after becoming a mother.

The 30-year-old starlet relied on movie roles such as the one in Sin City to draw attention to her feminine charm, as she was uncomfortable showing off her assets in her private life.

It was only with the birth of her daughter Honor in 2008 that the power of being a woman dawned upon Jessica.

“I didn’t necessarily see it (her sexuality) as a positive thing. I was afraid of it. So that is why I only really ever explored it when I was working,” she told Allure magazine. “I was quite shy with it. It wasn’t something I embraced until I had a daughter. I saw how incredible and amazing it is to be a woman and to be able to create a life.” (Faded Youth Blog). Click on the previews above to view more photos.

Bombshell Mexican American actress Jessica Alba graces the August 2011 cover of Latina magazine’s first-ever family issue, which hits newsstands on July 12th. The 30-year-old actress and star of Spy Kids 4 opens up to Latina about motherhood, showing off her very pregnant body, her insecurities and studying Spanish.

On preparing for her second child:
“The first time around, every moment was so new and terrifying and now I know what to expect. It’s like ‘It’s fine, I’ve been there before.’ With Honor, I was constantly asking myself ‘Is she moving? Is her heart beating?’ I’d worry about everything, and with this baby I don’t have the same anxieties.”

On balancing motherhood & her career:
“After I had Honor I didn’t leave the house for a while. It was all about changing diapers and feedings and still trying to get back in to the routine of my [acting] thing. I love what I do. But unless it’s worth it, I’m not going to spend time away from my daughter. Before I had her, work was all I had. Now it’s not.”

On the possibility of more kids:
“I just have to feel it out,” she says with a wink. “See how my 30s treat me. I just try to live in the moment.”

On showing off your shape:
“If you are sporting a pregnant belly, it’s better to show it than to hide it. If you look in the mirror and you look really wide and frumpy, then you’re going to appear really wide and frumpy. The more figure‐forming your clothes, even though you have more curves, the better. I like long, thin sweaters that kind of hide my hips and my booty, so there’s not a huge emphasis on how big they’re getting.”

On her insecurities:
“I was a lot more insecure when I was younger. I was very sensitive to criticism. Now I’m definitely a lot more self‐assured.” In 2008, she told Latina: “All of the stuff I got made fun of as a kid– bubble butt, fish lips, the dark skin – I’m proud of now.”

On landing her breakthrough role:
“I certainly knew the significance of Dark Angel because I knew how difficult it was just to get to that point. A lot of people didn’t even give me a chance based on how racially ambiguous I looked.”

On studying Spanish:
“I’ve definitely considered moving to a Spanish‐speaking country for a little while, even if it’s just a month or two, because I think at the end of the day that’s how you really learn.”(Latina Magazine)

The shoot took place back in April, were Jessica shared a few on-set pictures on twitter.  Picture 1, Picture 2 and Picture 3.

When the temperatures rise, Jessica Alba likes to keep her cosmetics bag armed with the essentials. Besides, what else would she need to go with that gorgeous mommy-to-be glow?

The 30-year-old actress and Revlon brand ambassador, who is expecting her second child with husband Cash Warren, took some time out of her busy schedule to chat with StyleList about her summer beauty secrets, go-to sunscreen, fragrance of the moment and more.

Five summer makeup must-haves: Tinted moisturizer, concealer, illuminator, mascara and lip gloss.

Tried and true beauty tips: Before there was cream blush, my grandmother would apply lipstick on her lips, cheeks and eyes. I still do that today. And my mother always told me to wash my face every night, wear sunscreen during the day and drink plenty of water. It’s simple but I like to think that it’s work for me.

How she protects herself from harmful sun rays: I like sunscreen that’s not too heavy so I use my daughter’s California Baby.

Warm-weather hue she can’t get enough of: Papaya orange.

Summer fragrance she spritzes on: Honoré des Prés Vamp à NY. It’s by an organic French brand — not too strong with a sweet vanilla scent.

Nail polish colors that dress up her digits: Revlon Top Speed Nail Polish in Jaded and Fire.

Moisturizers she trusts to keep her skin hydrated while traveling: Jurlique and La Mer. (stylelist).

Jessica Alba is pregnant with her second child with husband, Cash Warren, and she learned the hard way the other day that if you want to keep something a secret, then you probably shouldn’t tell it to a three-year old.

As Jessica and her daughter, Honor, were leaving the Burger Kitchen in Los Angeles, the paparazzi were waiting and asked Jessica what she planned on naming the new baby. Though Alba likely stayed tight lipped after the question was asked, Honor piped in and said that they plan on calling the baby Eva!

I guess the cat’s out of the bag now…I wonder if Jessica and Cash will choose to stick with that name even though it has been revealed?

If they do decide to call their second daughter Eva, she will have one of the most popular names for girls these days. Little Eva will also share her name with Reese Witherspoon and Heather Locklear’s daughters, though their girls spell their name with an “A” instead of an “E.”

If Jessica and Cash ever go for baby number three, they may want to think twice about letting Honor know her sibling’s name ahead of time. (Babble)

The guy in the picture — named Chris Lakkees — tells TMZ, his 5-year on-and-off relationship with Jessica Alba inspired him to create a website designed to prevent unnecessary break-ups … helping feuding couples overcome their differences with advice from people across the Internet.

It’s called RelationshipCourt.com — and Chris is pretty confident Alba wouldn’t have ended things if something like it existed back when they broke up … telling us, he “always wished that someone would have mediated between Jessica and him so they at least could have stayed friends.”

Yes, you and every other guy she has ever breathed on. (TMZ)