Soleil Moon Frye: I Am “Excited, Grateful, Thrilled” About My Pregnancy

Soleil Moon Frye is carrying a lot of hats these days. She’s expecting her third child with husbandJason Goldberg, has a new app called MoonFrye, and has a series on OWN called Home Made Simple. Soleil recently spent time talking to Celebrity Baby Scoop about her new projects.

CBS: Tell us all about your new startup, Moonfrye. What inspired you to launch the app? Why is the app’s ”A Right to Play” philosophy important to you?

SMF: “My partner and I are two moms who constantly do fun activities with our little ones. I love being creative, crafting, and cooking with my kids. The app is such a fun digital experience that parents can share with their children. My girls and I have been using it to decorate like crazy, and we share our photos with our friends, family, and the community. We absolutely love it! The app also connects you to our website that contains really creative and fun DIY ideas. We love the idea of bringing the digital world and physical world together, and it’s been a really great project.

The app’s “A Right To Play” philosophy means getting messy and having fun…it’s all about the journey and not just the destination. For me, as a parent, I’ve really embraced that I have perfectly imperfect moments and I’m not always a perfect parent. I try doing all these fun craft projects with my kids and half the time the paint winds up all over me and we make a huge mess. However, that’s part of the fun of it! We’re all about embracing the ‘happy chaos’ together, having fun, and enjoying those moments, even when they’re messy and crazy. You’re never too grown up to play and have fun!

CBS: You and your business partner Kara Nortman reportedly raised $2.5 million for the app. Congratulations! How did you do it?

SMF: “Thank you! We did it with a lot of hard work. It’s been an incredible journey and we’ve been very lucky and grateful that people have been so supportive of us. I am a true dreamer and believer in momtrepreneurs, dadtrepreneurs, and the ability to start something in your own home. I love when we feature incredible moms on our show, because I love hearing their stories about how they started in the kitchen or in their garage. So much of it is perseverance, hard work, spending endless nights working, and finding the right mentors, advisors, and people that support your decision. It also takes going out there and being able to swallow your fears and put yourself and ideas out there. You have to know that it’s going to be a journey. It’s been an incredible road.”

CBS: You also joined Nexcare Bandages and The American Red Cross for the “give” program surrounding World Blood Donor Day. Could you tell us about the program? How did you get involved in the initiative?

SMF: “It was incredible! Much less blood given during the summer months, even though it’s really needed. It was about making people aware of how much we need blood on a regular basis. It was a really fun project to partner with Nexcare Bandages and The American Red Cross on. I had a great time teaming up with them! I’ve always been a supporter of The American Red Cross, and, as a mom, I definitely connected to this program. My kids also love playing with bandages, so it was the perfect project to do together.”

CBS: You also authored two books, Happy Chaos and Let’s Get This Party Started. Could you tell us about the books? What inspired you to write the books?

SMF: Happy Chaos came from my approach to parenting, which is all about embracing the chaotic moments and enjoying them. It is really about my perfectly imperfect adventures and embracing the Sharpee on the wall, the syrup on your hands, and all those crazy, chaotic experiences that we all have as parents. It was about letting people know that it’s okay to not be perfect, and I certainly am not.

The next book comes out in October, and I’m so thrilled about it. It’s all about really fun party-planning ideas and super easy things to do with your kids. Every chapter has craft projects, recipes, and fantastic party ideas. It’s a great read for anyone who loves throwing parties, and it’s also the perfect guide for people who are afraid to throw parties. It shows how easy and fun it can be to host a party on a budget. There are lots of budget-friendly ideas, because I love trying to stay within a budget when I’m having a get-together or a party. The kids are little party-planners, so they were a huge part of this project. My big brother also shot the blog, so it was a total family affair and one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever done.”

CBS: You are now the host of season three of the OWN daytime series Home Made Simple. What is the show all about? What are you looking forward to the most in hosting the show?

SMF: “Absolutely! I always dreamed of working with Oprah, because I am such a huge fan of hers. The show really works hard to give back to people who are giving so much. For example, we go into the homes of families who have given to others, the community, their children, foster children, and the list goes on. These families range from an incredible woman who has a home that takes in homeless women and their children to another home that helps foster children, to another house that constantly gives back to the community around it. We go in and spruce up parts of their house and give them fun DIY home décor ideas. It’s been such a great experience and I’ve met so many wonderful families.

My favorite part about being on the show is spending time with the families and getting to know them. I’ve just fallen in love with these families. I find myself in tears every week, and I just adore the kids and love spending time with them and seeing how these different people parent them. They are these incredible families who give so much of themselves to each other and to the community, and they’re really all about helping. It’s a constant reminder of how lucky we are and to not take things for granted. These are families who are really cherishing the moment and living to help others.”

CBS: You’re a successful actress, director, screenwriter, and business woman. Is there anything else on your bucket list?

SMF: “Well, I am really excited to have a third baby! I would also really love continuing to help people around the world. I love the work that I’ve been able to do in Haiti and traveling there has been incredible. I took my kids to India this last year and would also love to continue traveling with them and teaching them about different parts of the world. I’m so proud that my kids are charitable and aware of giving back. They constantly want to do it on their own, which makes me really happy. I want to continue showing them the world and raising them to be ethical people who want to give back and share with others.

The top thing on my bucket list is to raise compassionate kids who want to make a difference. There are also many projects that I want to do both here in our country and abroad.”

CBS: Congratulations on your third pregnancy! How are you feeling? How is this pregnancy different from the others?  How do you think it will change your family dynamics?

SMF: “I have been really nauseous and really tired. [laughs] I am so excited, grateful, thrilled, and beyond happy about it, so that outweighs the nausea.

This pregnancy has been pretty similar, but it’s been really hard because I’ve been working so much and balancing two little ones at home. I’ve worked before, but it’s a whole other level with the company launching the app, doing the show, and still flying to New york and back. It’s been busy.

I have no idea how the third child will change my family dynamics. [laughs] I would love to ask people who have three kids, because I don’t know what it takes. I have friends who have four kids and friends who have a few kids, and some say that one more is crazier and more chaotic, and others say it’s not, so I don’t know. I am hoping that my two girls will be really helpful with the baby. I think it will be great.”

CBS: What’s it like being a mom to two daughters?  What are they both into?

SMF: “I love it! They are amazing and so much fun. I just adore and love them, as they’re so funny and fantastic.

They love to play, dance, and put on shows. They also love the app and are totally addicted to it. [laughs] One of my favorite things that they do is set up little experiences for charity, where they set up their toys to raise money for a cause. This is something they do on their own! They set up their own toy experience and say, ‘Do you want to look at my kaleidoscope for two dollars?’ They save up the money and give it to the charity of their choice. That’s something they do 100% on their own; it’s not something I pushed them to do. They love doing it and it makes me really proud that they are compassionate kids.”

CBS: What are some of your favorite motherhood moments? What’s been your greatest motherhood challenge so far?

SMF: “Just embracing the in-between, quiet moments with them as well as embracing the chaotic moments with them. I love all the fun journeys we get to go on.

My greatest motherhood challenge is trying to not get frustrated when things are really insane or when I’m getting pulled in different directions. I have to try to keep my cool and stay calm in these moments.”

CBS: What are the most important values you hope to impart to your children?

SMF: “I hope to teach them to be kind to others and be constantly aware of others. I also want them to realize that we’re all equal inside and to treat their peers as their equals. Teaching them kindness and compassion are two of the most important values I hope to impart to my kids.”

CBS: With a successful career and busy household, how do you find time for yourself and your marriage?

SMF: “I think the most important thing for us is that we try and make that time to watch a movie together or play Scrabble, even if it’s when the kids to go sleep. It’s about making that time to connect and talk. Having that time together is so important. It is hard to find the time in many instances, but we do try to make time for a date night to go to a movie. We try to just connect when we can.”

To download the MoonFrye app, click here.