LilSugar

Lil Links: Assuming Your Kids Can Attend Parties

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0800

Party foul: assuming your kids are invited - YumSugar
Courteney Cox says she and Coco are two of a kind - Celebrity Baby Blog
Should I have another child? - Momversation
How to get your kids to eat healthier - Alpha Mom
Jett Travolta meant a lot to his family - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Gene linked to dad's ability to father sons, daughters - Parent Dish
Get your body back after baby! - Health
Pregnancy can bring on swollen ankles - CafeMom
And the winner of the Santa tantrum award is. . . - The Poop

Couples Cocktail Party: Food and Beverages

LilSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:00:22 -0700

Like any other fete, there should be ample food at a couples cocktail party and of course, a signature drink to wash the nibbles down.

Ask the bartender to concoct a beverage that reflects both the baby and the parents-to-be. If the nursery is in shades of pink and the father-to-be is a fan of Stoli, perhaps a renamed vodka cran fits the bill. Or if the soon-to-be mama used to sip on champagne and orange juice, go for a "mom"osa. And, of course make sure there's a delicious mocktail version for the expectant guest of honor.

For more edible ideas, read more.

Set up a table of prepared eats so guests can serve themselves and you can enjoy the soirée, too. Italian food is always a nice option since Caprese salad on skewers, spicy meatballs, focaccia squares, stuffed mushrooms, and cozzi are all crowd pleasers.

Source

Couples Cocktail Party: Decor

babysugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:00:00 -0700

I love couples showers because they give men, especially the papa–to–be, a chance to bask in the pregnancy spotlight.

And generally, the showers are like any other festive affair - just with an additional purpose - celebrating an impending arrival.

To see how to make a couples shower cute to boot, read more.

If you're hosting a couples shower at your residence, it is easy to dress up your home for the occasion.

Enlist parents of the mom and pop–to–be and ask them to send you baby pictures of the expectant pair. Make copies of the adorable photos and place them around the entertaining rooms for friends to enjoy during cocktails.

And speaking of drinks, instead of using bowls, fill up some baby bottles with candy or peanuts and place them next to the festive napkins at the bar.

As with most parties, you'll probably have food to balance out the alcohol. Instead of bringing in flowers for a centerpiece, buy a pregnant wire form and tie a pretty ribbon around her empire waist.

An odd way to celebrate new life, the tradition is to smoke a cigar upon the birth of a baby. Keep things clean and healthy by offering up pink and blue bubble gum cigars to your guests. I'd be willing to bet they'd be more popular than the authentic ones anyway.

Mommy Dearest: Alcohol Isn't Appropriate at a Child's Party

babysugar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:00:55 -0800

Mommy Dearest –

Birthday season is in high gear in my daughter's preschool class, meaning that we are attending several parties every weekend. I thought I had seen every iteration of a gym, magic or cooking party, but this weekend one party stuck out like a sore thumb. At this early afternoon party, while the kids were shrieking with laughter as the clown/magician did his shtick, a waitress passed by with mimosas and sangria on her tray. As I turned to observe the other parents' reactions, I saw many reaching in for a glass and enjoying themselves throughout the party. One father commented to me that this was the best way to make it through the endless string of parties we were enduring.

I don't consider myself to be a teetotaler, but isn't it inappropriate to be liquoring up the adults at a children's party?

– Banish the Booze Mama

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.

Dear Banish the Booze Mama –

Alcohol and kids is always a controversial topic. Some moms are quick to offer cocktails at afternoon playdates while others don't allow their tots to see them imbibe at all. Given the celebratory nature of a party, regardless of the age of the guest-of-honor, I don't see any harm in offering adult guests an alcoholic beverage. If they aren't comfortable with the idea, they don't have to participate. That said, I would not offer an endless supply of beverages, simply having enough for everyone to have one drink should be enough.

– Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this series at the Mommy Dearest Group on our new community page.

The 12 Ages of Christmas: 9-Year-Olds

babysugar — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:30:49 -0800

Instead of the 12 days of Christmas, we're celebrating the ages and the toys that go along with them. Keep an eye out for your age group as we tick along throughout the season!

On the ninth day of Christmas, yours truly gave to thee... a Bop It ($15)! One of the hottest games for youngsters, this entertaining gadget is so much fun that they frequently make their way out at mom and dad's cocktail parties, too. A toy with few buttons, it seems easy enough to master but as it yells commands to jump, shout, move or bop, players find themselves tripping over their limbs and providing loads of laughter for everyone in the room. The physicality of the game keeps tots on their toes while sharpening their motor skills and making them more agile. Easy enough to play solo, it is also a fab family night find.

Check out what we suggest for the other ages of Christmas!

When the Kids Are Away, How Does Mom Play?

babysugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:30:30 -0700

Mommy's doing the cabbage patch and singing out loud, "They're gone... they're gone... they're gone." The opportunity for some mom-me time may not come around that often so when mama finds herself free of kids, hubby and other responsibilities, she can do whatever her heart desires. Perhaps she has planned a Mexican getaway to celebrate a 30th birthday or maybe she's just eager for a night out on the town. But one thing seems to be common among many mothers... their party bark is bigger than their bite.

Many ladies talk up a big game of sipping cocktails and staying up until the wee hours of the morn but in reality, many spend their time catching up with friends on the couch or playing Guitar Hero and sneaking into bed earlier than expected. The fear of hangovers may be to blame or perhaps it is their internal clocks ticking to a settled routine that keeps mommies from playing too hard.

How do you play when the kids are away?

Delilicious: Make a Kid Friendly St. Patrick's Day Spread

LilSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Convincing tots to eat their greens is typically a pretty laborious process, but St. Patrick's Day may be an exception. Charged up on green celebrations and tales of St. Patrick your children just might get their dose of vegetable vitamins today. Here are some simple ideas for infusing your family meal with a little festive flare.

Dinner Menu: PartySugar suggests a delicious dinner of Green Goddess Dressing, Warm Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Pesto Pizza and Creamy Broccoli Soup. If that's far too much green for your family, make your tots the pizza with the pesto on the side. They can add the color it to their liking or choose to keep their slice plain.
Treats: Make a simple and low sugar Irish Soda Bread and decorate it with green royal icing for kid appeal. If you don't have a ton of time pick up some shamrock Sugar cookies from your local bakery or grab unfrosted cookies and frost them with your children.
Green Non-Alcoholic Beer: While the adults chug delicious beer cocktails make sure to have some equally attractive non-alcoholic beverages (we call those EANABs) on hand for your little leprechauns. Add natural green dye to Sprite, mineral water or apple juice for a virgin cocktail.
Wear Green: Don't forget to have your whole family wear a spot of green so no one gets pinched at school.

Source

Sibling Shower: Food and Beverage

LilSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:00:00 -0700

It's time to eat at our sibling shower (small soiree that gets the future big sis or bro used to the idea of having another wee one in the family)! Set out a spread fit for the family's queen bee or lil king. Tempt tots' appetites by playing to a few of the sibling-to-be's favorite foods with a twist. Our menu is made up of swaddled babies also known as babes in blankets, classic macaroni and cheese bowls, and baby carrots with ranch dip. Let lil ones wash it down with some fresh squeezed lemonade and indulge in a pint-size party treat - cookie ice cream sandwiches! Adults will likely nosh and get nostalgic about these childhood staples.

View 5 Photos ›

For the recipes, read more.

Babes in blankets: Buy your favorite brand of cocktail weenies and roll them in a store-bought pastry dough cut into triangles Place them on a cooking sheet and pop them in the oven to bake. Allow the concoctions to cool and then create wee faces with an edible ink pen. Condiments like ketchup, mustard and relish can be used to decorate the blankets with pinstripes, floral patterns, and polkadots. Pair it with your child's choice of mac and cheese and baby carrots with ranch dip.

Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches: Purchase a pack of Immaculate Baking Company's Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies or another flavor of your choosing. After baking the cookies and allowing them to cool, scoop a ball of ice cream (I used Alden's Organic Mint Chocolate Chip) in the center of one cookie, top with another, and then press the two together until it forms a sandwich. Pour sprinkles or colored sugar on a plate and roll the edges of the sandwich around to collect the decoration. Place the finished goodies back in the freezer to firm up and then serve.

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids!

You Know You're A Mother When: The Halloween Dash

LilSugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:00:24 -0700

Holidays often mark evident transitions from being childless to having children. But Halloween is perhaps the sharpest contrast when it comes to "pre" versus "post" baby days. My husband and I used to get decked out in costumes and party on vampire time attending house or block parties. Tipping back cocktails and dancing was the adult form of trick-or-treating. Then, with parenthood arrived our obligation to do the mad dash with our darlings.

It's the carefully choreographed dance from work to scarf down dinner, outfit our tots, map a route to all our relatives houses and hit the streets to trick-or-treat. It's a shuffle that has hiccups no matter how much you plan. And, one that is worth wearing plain clothes and watching my children run up and down flights of stairs soliciting candy in their costumes and collecting memories.

What are your family's plans tonight?

Family Ties: Cousins

babysugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:00:59 -0700

Growing up, I don't think I realized the important roles that my cousins played in my life. We saw each other at our grandmother's house and played doctor and school while our parents drank cocktails downstairs, but I had no idea they would become some of my best friends. Now as a parent and aunt, I am starting to enjoy the perks of my extended family and hoping to pass the same familial connections onto my lil one.

While visiting home this week, my daughter played with her cousins and second cousins nearly every day. She knew their names and faces from pictures on our refrigerator door, but this trip provided her the rare opportunity to have a tea party with my sister's daughters and chow down with her second cousins over meals. This morning, they sat next to each other in their high chairs and gave each other high fives while noshing on donuts. Having playmates back in San Francisco is a treasure. Having cousins close in age is a blessing.