LilSugar

Celebaby Roundup!

Katie Henry — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:00:55 PST

Celebrities had another exciting weekend enjoying time outside and with their families! Jessica Alba visited a park in LA with her daughters while Marion Cotillard strolled through chilly NYC with baby Marcel. Katherine Heigl grabbed lunch with her loves, and Rebecca Gayheart spent the day with Billie Dane - click through to see what they were all up to!

Baby, It's Cold Outside: 8 Cozy Stroller Buntings

LilSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:03:45 PST

Spring may almost be right around the corner, but until then, keep lil ones snuggly warm in these cozy stroller buntings. We've highlighted the best features of each of our eight top picks to make shopping a breeze. Stay warm, and happy strolling!

8 Surprising Things That Can Swell During Pregnancy

Kate Stahl — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:41:54 PST

We've all heard of swollen feet during pregnancy - a not-so-surprising side effect considering they're supporting all that extra weight - but your feet are not the only body parts that can retain fluid while you're expecting. We've all seen a pregnant woman who looked so fluid-filled you kind of wanted to stick a pin in her to see if she'd pop (or maybe you were one of those women?), but water retention can hit less obvious places as well.

Jessica Simpson recently went to Twitter to talk about her swollen lips, saying it might be the first stage of "pregnancy face," a side effect that Bethenny Frankel dealt with by massage and putting bags of frozen veggies on her face. "I’m a swollen beast. My face exploded . . . I look like a chipmunk,” she tweeted while expecting daughter Bryn. Keep reading for 10 less talked-about body parts that can make for an often uncomfortable, and sometimes unsightly, pregnancy and postpartum experience.

What's the Best Sound of Your Day?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:03:32 PST

A baby's gurgle? Your child's voice? For Brad Pitt, the answer is the sound of his children sleeping - and he's not talking about the quiet he hears when his kids are finally asleep, but the sounds of their rhythmic breathing. While appearing on Inside the Actors Studio, the father of six took part in the Proust Questionnaire, telling James Lipton that hearing his kids' overnight breathing is the best sound in the world. When the audience of acting students gave a collective sigh at his answer, Pitt responded that they'd understand when they became parents.

Do you agree? What's the best sound of your day?

The Cutest Kids' Silhouettes For Your Home

LilSugar — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:35:50 PST

As at-home above a mantle as in the nursery, a custom silhouette is a special piece that becomes a memento as your little one grows up. While the traditional black-and-white look suits some just fine, we've found some incredibly talented designers who do things a bit differently. Plus, for the DIY mom (or dad), a step-by-step guide to creating your own memorable piece of art.

Valentine's Day Breakfast Ideas For Tots

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 07:03:04 PST

You already have your Valentine's Day lunch box planned for your tot, but how will you start their day? A touch of love for the first meal of the day is the perfect way to send kids off to school knowing that mama has them in her heart all day long. These Valentine's Day breakfast ideas make the most important meal of the day the most special. Check them out!

Lil Links: Postpartum Sex Tips For New Dads

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:32:50 PST

A dad's guide to postpregnancy sex - Parenting
5 things not to say to divorced moms - The Stir
Bobbi Kristina was Whitney Houston's pride and joy - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Lily Aldridge debuts her baby bump - Celebrity Baby Blog
3 simple exercise routines to get expectant mamas going in the morning - FitPregnancy
Mom gets fired for asking to pump at work - The Bump
Can you cheat at potty training? - Momformation
New Barbie wears your face on her stomach - Yahoo! Shine
7 creative birthday party ideas for under $7 per guest - LearnVest
Former Spice Girl Emma Bunton is inspired by her kids for a children's fashion line – Child Mode

Sisters of DC Cupcakes Share Valentine's Day Baking Tips and Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:16:28 PST

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to 10,000 lil cakes a day, much to the delight of the patrons who line the block of their Washington DC store. The duo - who just opened their first outpost in New York City - gave me a few minutes of their time to discuss their tasty desserts.

LilSugar: Cupcakes have moved from kiddie birthday party staple to a favorite of adults and kids alike. But kids aren't always willing to try new flavors. Which are most popular with kids?
Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis: Our Vanilla Birthday (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), Chocolate Birthday (chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), and Milk Chocolate Birthday (vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream and rainbow bobbles) are the most popular with kids. We think it's the color rainbow bobbles!

LS: Moms are busy; what shortcuts can you recommend to making delicious, beautiful cupcakes without spending the whole day baking and decorating them?
SL and KK: Try to keep a stash of baking staples - butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, salt, and cocoa powder/chocolate on hand in your kitchen at all times and you can make almost any flavor! Our recipes are very simple - we don’t use cake flour or pastry flour - just all purpose - we find that works best. Also, we're big fans of chocolate ganache icing. It's so easy - just two ingredients - chocolate chips and heavy cream. You just melt them down (two cups of chips to one cup of cream), and dip your cupcakes in and you've got a super fast and unbelievably delicious frosting.

LS: Do you ever make "healthy" cupcakes for those who want to skip some of the sugar? If so, what goes into it?
SL and KK: We have a carrot cake cupcake, which has fresh carrots and fresh apples grated in it. We skip the walnuts, to save on calories, and it's a light and delicious cupcake!

The new season of DC Cupcakes begins on Feb. 25, but if you're looking to create their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes for Valentine's Day,

Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
From Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake

Ingredients

For the cupcakes 1 1/4 cups flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Plugra brand, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 1/2 cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted (or another good-quality cocoa powder) For the ganache frosting 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 cup Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips (6.4 ounces; or other good-quality semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup. Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined. Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated. Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. For the ganache frosting: Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface. Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth. Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving. (If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over.)

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That's a Wrap - The Best Beauty, Fashion, and Performances From the Grammy Awards

Katie Henry — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:05:44 PST

Red-carpet fashion and beauty coverage:

Catch up on other arrivals fun you may have missed:

The list of all the winners, and more Grammy Awards fun:

Shutterbug: How to Photograph Your Family at Home

Rebecca M Gruber — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:48:14 PST

Grab your camera and get ready to shoot! After baby's born, many mamas fashion themselves into the family photographer, but how much do you really know about capturing the perfect shot? With DSLR cameras on the top of many moms' wish lists, I turned to an expert to get a crash course in recording a family's daily activities - and doing it well! Fort Collins, CO-based Jennifer Little started Sugar Photography (no relation) with the goal of capturing the connection between people and their moments. Keep reading to see her tips for doing the same on your own, as well as beautiful examples of her work!

All photos courtesy of: Jennifer Little | Sugar Photography