Filed under 'Vanessa Williams'

Vanessa Williams dresses up as Marilyn Monroe in an upcoming Halloween episode of Desperate Housewives. And you can bet that in real life she'll be slipping into a costume and celebrating huge on October 31st – she's a big fan of Halloween.

Vanessa tells People that she loves dressing up and throwing an annual costume party – she'll spend over four weeks preparing for the big night. "I start decorating October 1st. It's a favorite holiday for any kid, and I live through my kids," she says. "Plus it's a chance to dress up and be creative, and I love having parties...We do bobbing for apples and we watch scary movies."

MORE HERE! >>

Funny lady Sarah Silverman is America’s newest advocate for healthy school lunches. She is urging Congress to support the Healthy School Meals Act of 2010, a bill that would help schools serve healthier meal options.

In her letter to Congressman George Miller, Sarah states, “I’m writing to you about something that has shocked and offended me. And trust me when I say it takes a lot to shock and offend me. Some of the foods we’re feeding kids in schools are repulsive—and that unhealthy food is feeding the childhood obesity epidemic.”

Many more celebrities are joining Sarah in this important campaign, including celeb parents like Nicole Richie, Sean Penn, Bethenny Frankel, Kelly Rutherford and Tobey Maguire. The following letters have been released to Celebrity Baby Scoop. Read below how some of our fav celeb parents support this campaign.

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Currently starring on Broadway, and set to move into Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane this fall, Vanessa Williams is a force to be reckoned with. In the the latest edition of Working Mother, the stunning 47-year-old mother of four opens up about her staying power in Hollywood, Botox, co-parenting with her exes, and the most important lesson she's learned as a working mom.

On her role as mom to Melanie, 22, Jillian, 20, Devin, 17, and Sasha Gabriella, 10: “I became a mom when I was young, so I’ve always had my career along with my children. Just eight weeks after I’d had my second child, I had to go to England to promote my album for ten days. So I dragged my breast pump through airport security. I was so weepy to be leaving my newborn. Maybe ten years later, I’d have said no to the trip. As you get older, you get stronger and more confident, and you get more accustomed to saying no and to knowing your boundaries. Things change as you mature. But you still try to do everything you can to be with your kids. I remember flying from Tokyo to New York for a confirmation party for my daughter, and then back to Tokyo to perform. But you can only do so much, and you have to forgive yourself.”

On motherhood’s most important lesson: “My biggest lesson is to surrender, to stop trying to control. You never know what life has to offer. Yes, have a plan, but also be open to the possibility that you don’t know what’s next. The best things that have happened in my life have been complete surprises. I never intended to meet certain people. I never knew certain opportunities would come up. I know a lot of working moms want to stay in control. My advice: Let go of the wheel. Let life happen. And when you get an opportunity, go for it. You can miss opportunities if you’re always trying to control everything. So be open to something new, and you may be pleasantly surprised.”

Continue reading at Working Mother....

Vanessa Williams and her 8 1/2-year-old daughter Sasha were photographed at the Los Angeles Premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie on Thursday. Dad is Vanessa's ex-husband, former NBA basketball player Rick Fox.

Vanessa also has three children with ex-husband Ramon Hervey II: Melanie, 21, Jillian, 19, and Devin, 15.

Photo: TOBY CANHAM at BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM