LilSugar

Texts and Tunes: Children's Book Week Round Up

babysugar — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:00:48 PST

All week we have been telling you about some of our favorite children's books in honor of Children's Book Week. We hope the next time you need a book, you'll consider adding one of these to your kiddie library.

Goodnight Moon - Do you love the red balloon and the old lady whispering hush?
Pat the Bunny - Now YOU pat the bunny.
Freckleface Strawberry - Cherish those freckles and everything else about you!
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs - Have your kids rolling around in bed thinking about overcooked broccoli falling from the sky.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett ($7)	Freckleface Strawberry by Julianne Moore ($17)
Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt ($10)	Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown ($9)

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Texts and Tunes: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

babysugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 04:15:00 PST

In continuing with the Children's Book Week theme, our next book is a wonderful story for an older audience. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs ($7) is a book that most grade school children will enjoy. The humorous tale keeps kids laughing throughout the book. Instead of rain or hail falling from the sky, the clouds disperse stinky gorgonzola, scrambled eggs with a side of toast, and meatballs.

Published back in 1978, there is a nostalgic feel about it evidenced in the illustrations. Children who can't yet read will most certainly enjoy the pictures of syrup covering a hill. And while the book is entertaining, it is also a great learning tool. Many teachers include this book in their curriculum to teach about predictions and weather patterns. Who knew science could be so fun?

Tomorrow's forecast: Children's Book Week Wrap Up!

Texts and Tunes: Pat the Bunny

babysugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:30:00 PST

This week is Children's Book Week and to kick it off, we wanted to feature an old classic that makes us smile. You probably remember it from your childhood and will also enjoy reading it to your lil ones.

Pat the Bunny ($10) has been in print for 67 years and has sold over six million copies.

This modest book is simple, but remarkably entertaining for infant to preschool aged children. Patting a fuzzy white bunny and sniffing a bouquet of flowers, keeps tots stimulated from beginning to end. And, reading, "Paul and Judy play peek-a-boo. Can you play peek-a-boo with Paul?" never gets old.

Warning: All the patting, smelling, and tugging that goes on while enjoying, you might want to stock up on a couple copies. Babies like to eat the bunny, too.

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.

The Benefits of Homeschooling Your Kids

LearnVest — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:05:49 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

In the past, LearnVest spoke to parents who chose not to use diapers with their children and dove into the stay-at-home parent debate. This time, one mother shares why she has decided to homeschool her children.

In 2002, we had our third child, 10 years after our second was born. Our eldest two boys were in a private school, but we began to consider the best way to educate our newest addition. Although we loved the school our boys attended, each year cost us about $10,000. We questioned how feasible it would be to put additional kids through there, too.

We had three more children in the following years for a total of six, and with each new baby came further confirmation that putting our four youngest through private school was out of the question financially. Our two eldest were approaching college age, which put even more pressure on us.

The decision was simple. We elected to educate our four youngest at home.

Why Public School Wasn’t an Option

We always knew that we wouldn’t send our children to public school. Parents who opt out of public school do so for many reasons: safety, quality of education, religious conviction, and many others. My husband and I both went to public school, but that was a long time ago, and I don’t know what schools are like today. For us, religion was the main reason. We believe that God gave parents the responsibility to raise, train, and educate their own children. Many parts of the Bible talk about training your children - to us, that includes education.

For more, read after the jump.

Hugo: 3 Reasons Why You Should See It - and 3 Reasons Why You Shouldn't

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:35:37 PST

Iconic film director Martin Scorsese veers off his beaten path with this week's Hugo. Based on the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film tells the tale of a young orphan who is secretly living in a train station in Paris. He spends his days winding the clocks in the station, hiding from a villainous station agent, and trying to fix an automaton (a robot-like machine) left behind by his deceased father. Scorsese definitely packs magic into this film, but it's not exactly the children's fantasy film I was expecting. Before you head to the theater this Thanksgiving weekend, check out my reasons why this might be the film for you - and why you might want to avoid it.

Why you should see it:

The cinematography is stunning. With Scorsese at the helm, it's pretty much guaranteed that you're in for a visual treat, and Hugo is no different. His depiction of 1930s Paris in the wintertime is dazzling; the train station where Hugo lives and spends most of his time is enveloped in warm tones and rich colors, making the film look like a beautifully illustrated children's book come to life - which is exactly what it is.
The acting is superb. It's no surprise that a veteran like Ben Kingsley delivers a spot-on performance as a prickly man who fixes toys in the train station. His mysterious animosity towards Hugo and Hugo's desire to fix his father's automaton becomes the crux of the film, and Kingsley turns in a complex performance as a character with a secret. In turn, Sacha Baron Cohen provides comic relief as the station agent with a bum leg who is intent on having Hugo shipped off to an orphanage. However, it's the performances from young actors Asa Butterfield and Chloe Moretz that hold the film together, and both are impressive. Butterfield particularly does a wonderful job carrying the film; his big, curious blue eyes portray Hugo's loneliness, curiosity, and pain, and he brings his A-game to the film's most emotional scenes.
The story has enchanting elements. I loved the whimsical idea behind Hugo, and Scorsese captures all of these elements perfectly. From the automaton to Isabelle's fascination with storytelling to the Parisian setting, Hugo certainly qualifies as escapist entertainment that pays homage to the magic of moviemaking, on multiple levels.

To see the reasons why this movie might be a pass for you, just

Nick Cannon Shares Photos of "Crab Cakes" Roc and Roe!

Allie Merriam — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:05:24 PST

Nick Cannon posted new photos of "dem babies," his children, Moroccan and Monroe, today on Twitter! The little ones, who go by the nicknames Roc and Roe, were photographed in a variety of poses, including on a white couch underneath mylar balloons spelling out their catch phrase. Roc also modeled a necklace in one picture, while Roe read the words, "my mother sings high, my mother sings sweet" from the book My Mother Is Mine. Mariah and Nick dressed Roc and Roe in crab outfits, and he tweeted that they're "little crab cakes!" Nick and Mariah first gave a glimpse into their happy family life last month when they invited Barbara Walters into their home to meet the infants. Nick, Mariah, and the kids dressed as The Incredibles for Halloween too, and the parents gave a peek of the little ones' over-the-top nursery.

Mariah is ready to step back into the spotlight after focusing on her pregnancy and raising the children, and she may be hiring a new team. According to reports, Mariah will sign on Randy Jackson as a manager and they're close to finalizing a deal. They were apparently close in the '90s as well when both were working with Columbia Records. Mariah is also proud to show off her postbaby body and just last week rocked a tight red dress for a special Jenny Craig event.

Tori Spelling Shares Time Management Tips For Moms

Tori Spelling — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:31:05 PST

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. Having just given birth to her third child, Tori recently shared her tips for trying to make the most of the hours in the day.

Time, there's always too little of it! As moms, we are especially time-strapped. And if we're working, time is at even more of a premium. Given all the demands placed on us, it can be easy to feel like we're just going through the motions, fulfilling our responsibilities without truly enjoying them. But it doesn't have to be that way. Here are a few tips for balancing your needs with those of your family and your job:

Batch tasks – This is a great tip for increasing productivity in your work life as well as your personal life. For example, if you find that checking email distracts you while you're working, spend an hour each morning cleaning out your inbox, then turn off your email notifications for a few hours and concentrate on the task at hand. If you have a bunch of errands to run, do them all at once. Spend a Sunday afternoon cooking a bunch of dishes to eat throughout the week.
Overestimate – When planning a complicated day with multiple drop-offs, pick-ups, and to-do items, it's best to overestimate how long each item will take. Take everything into account, from traffic to how long it takes your little tyke to pick out socks.

Delegate – Guys hate asking for directions; we hate asking for help. But you can't be in two places at once, so when your calendar gets insane, make sure to get help from your husband or your close family or friends. Remind yourself that it's okay to give control to someone else you trust.
Quality Time All the Time – Even the most mundane tasks can become "quality time." Try to make your daily tasks fun for your kids by allowing them to participate. For example, when you go grocery shopping, let them take an active role in picking out groceries. Cook dinner together and catch up in the car on the way to school. These little moments are the things your kids will remember when they get older. What are your most cherished childhood memories? Chances are they're simple, everyday activities.
Take Care of Yourself – You don't have to book an expensive massage to take care of yourself, although that's a nice treat every now and then. Taking care of yourself is more about allocating time to do things that make you feel good: putting on your makeup in the morning, going for a jog in the evening (bonus points if you're also pushing a stroller), or painting your toenails before the polish completely chips away.
It's also about making healthy choices that are best for you. For example, going to bed early instead of staying up to answer emails will make you a much more productive person the next day. As they get older, your children will admire that their mother is someone who takes care of herself – after all, you are modeling behavior that you want them to emulate someday!
Remember to Breathe – As busy, multitasking women and moms, sometimes we overlook the simplest way to get through our day: taking a moment to breathe. Pausing to focus on your breath can help you to quell nerves and stress or simply clear your mind. Simple, but effective!

How do you balance it all? Share your time management tips in the comments below.

More great stories from ToriSpelling.com:
'Til Death Do Us Part: Elderly couple dies holding hands
Happy Halloween!
Ask me anything!

Lauren Conrad Goes Short and Sexy as She Adds Beauty Author to Her Résumé

Molly Goodson — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:33:06 PDT

Lauren Conrad was decked out in a cute party dress for last night's Autumn Party and Yigal Azrouel fashion show to benefit the Children's Institute in LA. LC pulled back her darker hair, which she debuted arriving back at LAX over the weekend, for the event. Lauren is not afraid to experiment with beauty, and she's been a go-to source for her California-girl look since her days on The Hills, which is why her newest venture seems like the perfect fit. LC is writing Lauren Conrad Beauty, a book full of the tips and tricks she's learned over the years in the same vein as Lauren Conrad Style, which came out last year. Even though she's busy with her many fashion, beauty, and lifestyle projects, Lauren still makes time for fun. She's going strong with DWTS's Derek Hough, and the two have been spotted enjoying nights out around the city for the past few weeks.

Operation Organize: Charitable Closet Clearing

Lauren Conrad — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:30:31 PDT

We are thrilled to share this story from LaurenConrad! The TV personality, writer, designer, and style maven started LaurenConrad.com, a social networking site that features daily posts by Lauren on all of our favorite topics - fashion, beauty, food, party planning - and Lauren will be sharing her latest fashion finds with Fab every month. This week, we talk closet cleaning for a cause.

If you have read my book Style then you know what I think when it comes to cleaning out your closet: if you can’t see it, you won’t wear it. The solution? Overhaul your closet, and get organized. (Check out Chapter 4 of Style for helpful tips on editing and arranging your closet.) So what do you do with all of the pieces you want to ditch? Pay it forward. And no, I don’t mean watch the movie.

Think of it this way: as your unused homecoming dress sits in the deep dark depths of your closet, there is someone out there who is looking for, or needing, that very dress. They don’t say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” for nothing. Instead of tossing or selling closet rejects, donate them - but do it wisely. Certain organizations specialize in distributing specific clothing items. To inspire you to make smarter donation decisions, I have put together a list of helpful suggestions on disposing your closet castoffs:

Shoes. If you are tossing a pair of shoes, give them to someone who really needs them. I recently learned about Soles4Souls, which is an organization that collects shoes and gets them to those in need. In many countries, children cannot attend school or church unless they have a pair of shoes, and Soles4Shoes makes this possible.

Keeping reading . . .