LilSugar

Holiday Photo Style: Getting the Perfect Picture

LilSugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:00:00 PST

Lights! Camera! Family! It's time to snap that perfect shot. We looked to the professionals at Classic Kids to get some tips for taking the most memorable photos. According to the company's founder, Julie Floyd, the key is to keep your subjects relaxed and remember that children do not need to be perfectly posed in order to get a great image. She also recommends:

Never say “smile” or ask the children to say “cheese.” The mouth will smile, the eyes will not. You must work for your smiles by entertaining your subjects.
Get down to their level. The photographer needs to bring the camera down to eye level. Even lay on the floor if necessary.
Fill the frame with your subject. A nice close shot is far more interesting to the viewer than seeing a lot of background.

To read more of Julie's tips, including some to keep in mind when going to a professional photographer,

The Snowy Day Celebrates 50 Years of Breaking Racial Boundaries

LilSugar — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:17:00 PST

While a parent reading The Snowy Day to their child in 2012 might not think twice about its societal impact, the book broke racial barriers when it was published 50 years ago. The story itself is a sweet, straightforward one that tells the tale of Peter, the young protagonist, exploring his neighborhood on a snowy day, but the fact that Peter is African American was a bold departure from the standard for children's books in 1962.

In honor of the The Snowy Day's 50th anniversary, Viking has released a special anniversary edition of the Caldecott Medal-winning kids classic. And if you live in Amherst, MA, or San Francisco, CA, bring your kiddies to "The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats," a touring exhibition that celebrates the important history of the little book that tells a big story.

10 Movies About Friendship For the Whole Family

LilSugar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:03:29 PST

Romantic love seems to get all the credit on Valentine's Day, but Feb. 14 is about celebrating friendship, too. One great way to get the kids involved? Host a marathon of classic movies that are all about friendship. Serve some supersweet Valentine's Day treats and choose from these 10 great friendship films for a holiday that's fun for the whole family.

Valentine's Day Reading: 10 Love-Themed Books For Kids

LilSugar — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:23:59 PST

Carry the Valentine's Day celebration into the bedtime routine by reading your kids a book about love. From classic stories of giving to the latest in love-themed kids literature, these 10 heartwarming reads are sure to spread the love on Feb. 14.

Mad For Plaid: The Classic Pattern For Kids Is Stronger Than Ever

LilSugar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:16:42 PST

Part preppy, part hipster, plaid seems to be just about everywhere these days - including kids' clothes. From classic tartan dresses to traditional wool trousers, we've rounded up some of the best plaid styles for kids.

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.

Get Benjamin's Look: 5 Sweet Animal Pullovers

Kate Stahl — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:22:56 PST

There's no denying Benjamin Brady's amazing genetic code has led to some adorable looks, but the cute offspring of Gisele Bundchen and Tom Brady is also rocking some cool, classic styles. We recently fell in love with Ben's tiny puppy sweater, and we tracked it down at one of our favorite kids clothiers, Bambeeno Cashmere. The cashmere sweater is definitely a luxury item, but we found similar style options for your lil guy at a range of price points. Keep clicking to check out all of the Ben Brady-inspired cuteness!

Pirate Rock! Disney's Sharky and Bones Open Up About Pirate Culture, Jake, and Peter Pan

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:37:27 PST

Can you talk like a pirate? If your lil one is between 2 and 5 years old, chances are he'll know exactly what we're talking about!

Since its launch last February, Disney's Jake and the Neverland Pirates has become the top-ranking series among kids in that age group. The animated show - about a new crew of pirates who work together to outwit Captain Hook and Smee around Pirate Island - is about to embark on its second season with a prime-time special Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Peter Pan Returns (airing Feb. 13), where the little boy who won't grow up enlists the minipirates to help him find his lost shadow. As with the daily show, the special will feature original pirate rock songs written and sung by Sharky and Bones of The Never Land Pirate Band. I spoke with Loren Hoskins and Kevin Hendrickson, the men behind Sharky and Bones and the stars of the live-action music videos featured at the end of each episode, about the popularity of pirate culture and what it can teach tots today.

LilSugar: Obviously you two are well versed in little kids' obsessions with pirates. How did it start for you two?
Kevin Hendrickson (Bones): It started before our kids. Loren and I met maybe 12 years ago, and we both just had a love of pirates and the old Disney records we grew up listening to. We decided to make a pirate album for kids, even though we didn't have kids.
Loren Hoskins (Sharky): We were pirates before pirate was cool. We had an affinity for pirate and pirate culture and the old Disneyland rides - you know the old Pirates of the Caribbean attraction - and we combined all those into a rock album for kids of all ages. We say "for buccaneers of all ages" because we had a lot of fans that were not kids and a lot of fans that were kids and then families that were fans. We just decided to not be a children's band, but a band for all buccaneers!

LilSugar: It's been almost 60 years since Disney released Peter Pan, and unlike other Disney flicks, it hasn't received a rerelease or a 3D upgrade. Why do you think the pirate obsession remains so strong today?
Loren Hoskins (Sharky): I have always maintained that what pirates represent for play is all the best things about play. That's imagination, adventure, being bold-hearted, silly voices, and fun dress-up costumes. You put all that together and you get classic kid play. It's like pirates and dinosaurs. Dinosaurs were huge for a while, and I think for the same reason – you can just go "roaar," and play all these great games, and they were bold and adventurous and from exotic locations. Pirates are the same thing. They're one of those classic play building blocks

Keep reading for more of our talk about pirate rock and the show's educational value.

Lil Links: Are You Raising a Gifted Child?

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:37:05 PST

How to raise really smart kids - Parenting
Watch this baby meet a lemon for the very first time - The Stir
Depression helped Gwyneth Paltrow put things in perspective - Celebrity Baby Scoop
See the suite where Beyoncé gave birth - People
Foods you should be eating - FitPregnancy
Are high heels safe while pregnant? - The Bump
Do you bribe your kids for affection? - Momformation
Studies show common IVF belief is wrong - Yahoo! Shine
8 soon-to-be classic children's books - Real Simple

Real Talk With TV Broke Girl Beth Behrs

LearnVest — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:59:07 PST

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

Since when is being broke funny?

Since CBS released its new sitcom 2 Broke Girls, in which actress Beth Behrs plays a recently humbled heiress, Caroline, who moves to Brooklyn to hide out after her father loses their family fortune in a Ponzi scheme.

Caroline winds up living with her perpetually poor fellow waitress, Max, played by Kat Dennings, and the two hatch a plan to save their wages and start a cupcake business.

Recession-era cupcake businesses have been all the rage lately (see: Bridesmaids), but shows addressing personal finances - or lack thereof - with humor and honesty is something we don’t see very often. Caroline and Max manage to plan for their future while hustling for their present - and survive on a shoestring with admirable grace. We love that these characters live richly, even on a tight salary: After all, that's what LearnVest is all about.

And, of course, any show where the leading ladies discuss interest rates is right up our alley.

Check out our exclusive talk with Behrs on her penny-pinching past, her first pair of Louboutins - and why she still chooses to live with a roommate in real life. It turns out that we can learn something from celebs about money.

LearnVest: As a 26-year-old in Hollywood, how much of Caroline and Max’s financial struggle can you relate to?

Beth Behrs: Literally up until we shot the pilot, I was working as a nanny five days a week and then as a bartender and concierge at The Geffen Playhouse on the weekends. So, I can definitely relate to being broke, right out of college and working tons of odd jobs to just pay the rent.

Real-life waitress stories and more from Behrs.