LilSugar

Will You Be Buying the "It" Toy This Year?

LilSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 04:00:46 -0800

Every year there seems to be one toy that parents will get in a frenzy over to get for their tots. Remember the Tickle Me Elmo or the Nintendo Wii for 2007? This year Elmo is hot again with Elmo Live. This lifelike doll is flying off the shelves this holiday season. Will you be buying it?

How Do You Celebrate the Holidays: macgirl

LilSugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:00:09 -0800

The holidays are finally here! A few lilsugar readers shared their holiday plans, traditions and pastimes with us. Thanks to macgirl for today's read!

macgirl is the proud mama of two sons, Dylan, 9 and Grayden, 11 months. She and her husband own an Apple authorized service and sales business. Since the techs are both fairly geeky, she says there's always a lot of gaming going on in their house. And, this year they added to the excitement by moving into their dream home.

lilsugar: What is the most magical part of the holiday season for your family?
macgirl: The holidays are nice as things slow down and we get a little bit more time off and can take a break from the daily grind. This year is especially magical as we are in our new home and ready to start our own traditions. One of the things we like to do on Christmas day is just have an open house invite. Food and drinks are served all day long and people can come and go as they please. It's a nice way to take away some of the pressures of having to be places by specific times. Our guests seem to enjoy it.

To hear about the hot items on macgirl's family's wishlist and a favorite festive recipe, read more.

lilsugar: What is the hot wishlist item in your household this year?
macgirl: Well, we cheated a bit and bought the big family gift on Black Friday. A nice flat screen Samsung TV for the living room. The boys have wishlists of their own though. Dylan is hoping to get a PSP and Grayden loves the Elmo Live. I'm sure I'll regret that one soon enough, but he just gets so excited when we visit Elmo at Target.

lilsugar: Please share your family's favorite holiday recipe and the story
behind it.
macgirl: My husband makes these amazing Apple Pancakes. They are so rich and heavy you can only eat a few before you think you're going to die.

1.5 cups self rising flour
1/2 sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 apples peeled and grated
1tsp butter

Mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Beat the egg and milk
together and then pour into the flour/sugar/cinnamon bowl. After you
mix the dry and wet ingredients together stir in the grated apple.
Make them on the small side as they are incredibly dense and filling.

lilsugar: Do your children still believe in Santa?
macgirl: Dylan actually asked me a few weeks ago if Santa was real. I asked him what he thought and he got a bit flustered and said, "I just want to know the truth." It broke my heart a bit that he's growing up. Luckily I get to start this whole process over again with Grayden.

How Do You Celebrate the Holidays: schnappycat

LilSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:00:41 -0800

The holidays are finally here! A few lilsugar readers shared their holiday plans, traditions and pastimes with us. Thanks to schnappycat for today's read!

schnappycat is a stay-at-home mom to 11-month-old, Evan, but in a former life, she worked in corporate marketing, She now fills her spare (barely there) time as a competitive synchronized figure skater. She and her husband Dave are both proud University of Michigan grads and remain true to their roots, even though they live outside of Denver.

lilsugar: What is the most magical part of the holiday season for your family?
schnappycat: I have always thought the anticipation of Christmas was magical. There is something beautiful and exciting about the few days leading up to the big day, with the preparations, traditions, and discussions about the fun things to come. I especially find myself in a state of perpetual breathlessness on Christmas Eve, eager to have morning come, but at the same time savoring each moment of anticipation. This year, I think this will be especially true because I’ll also be looking at the holiday through my son’s eyes. It will be lovely!

To hear more about her holiday and get a festive peanut butter brownie trifle recipe, read more.

lilsugar: What is the hot wish list item in your household this year?
schnappycat: Evan is still too young to know what the hot toys are this season and I prefer to keep my house “Elmo free” as long as possible. But my husband and I have talked about breaking down and buying a Wii for us. I’m a bit technologically inept, so I’d also love a Flip camcorder to easily record and upload videos of Evan.

lilsugar: What is your family's favorite holiday recipe?
schnappycat: Since this is our first holiday with a child, we are still creating new traditions to share with our son. One dessert that my husband and I have made during the past few holidays is a Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle. Sadly, there is no great story behind this tradition, but it’s certainly a delicious addition to the season. I plan to continue including it in the holiday festivities each year. Hopefully Evan likes chocolate as much as his mom!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle
Ingredients:
1 (21.4-oz) pkg. chocolate brownie mix, chocolate peanut butter brownie mix, or peanut butter brownie mix (any type of mix is acceptable)
1 (5.1-oz) pkg. vanilla instant pudding
½ c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. whipping cream, whipped
3 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-½ c. coarsely chopped peanut butter cups candies (Reese’s or other)
Garnish (opt.): additional peanut butter cups candies, sliced

Brownie Preparation:
Bake brownies as indicated on box. Cool completely. With sharp knife, cut brownies into ¾-inch pieces.

Pudding Mixture Preparation:
Combine vanilla pudding mix and milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add peanut butter and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Gently fold in ½ of whipped cream. Set remaining whipped cream aside.

To Complete:
Place ½ of brownies in bottom of 3-quart trifle bowl. Top with 1-¼ cups chopped peanut butter cup candies and ½ of pudding mixture. Repeat layers with remaining ½ of brownies, 1-¼ cups chopped peanut butter candies, and pudding mixture. Pipe or spoon reserved whipped cream over trifle. Garnish, if desired.

Yield: Approximately 12 servings.

Notes:
*This dessert is best served after chilling in refrigerator overnight. The flavors mix together the longer it remains in the refrigerator.
*Since this is layered, it probably doesn't matter if brownies and candies are more or less liberally layered.

lilsugar: Do your children still believe in Santa?
schnappycat: Evan has no concept of Santa yet, and was a bit confused and scared as to why he was forced to sit on a strange bearded man’s lap at the mall. Next year will probably be much more Santa focused. I’m looking forward to him getting excited about Santa!

Mommy Alert! Red Hot Deals For Black Friday

LilSugar — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:00:00 -0800

Black Friday gets many of us red in the face, but whether you choose to brave the stores today or shop from the comfort of your own home, here are some deals you may want to check out this holiday weekend.

1 in the Oven is offering 15 percent off all merchandise (that includes sale items) through today. Just use coupon code BELLY at checkout to save.
A favorite among expectant mamas, Isabella Oliver, is having its Thanksgiving Sale. Save 25 percent off today, 20 percent off on Saturday, 15 percent off on Sunday, and 10 percent off on Monday. To get the discount, enter the code FESTIVE at checkout.
Get free gift wrapping at Vera Plum now through Dec. 7.
Get 30 percent off all purchases at BabyStyle until Dec. 1 by entering the code GOBBLE30 at checkout.

There are a lot more deals to be had, so read more.

Restoration Hardware Baby & Kids just added new items to its sale selection on furniture, linens, and accessories for the home.
Shop Target's 2-Day Toy Sale today and tomorrow and score deals on toys and gadgets for your lil ones.
Chic eshop, Giggle.com, is offering free shipping on select toys, clothing, gadgets, and more.
Until Dec. 8, score 15 percent off all orders at The Children’s Place with coupon code HAC8.
Bloomingdale's baby items are currently on sale for up to 25 percent off online. The discount is automatically taken at checkout and ends Nov. 30.
And for those of you still looking to score the "it" gift this year, you can still get Elmo Live for $60 at Amazon.

Source

The Gifted Baby: 18-Month-Old

LilSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:00:06 -0800

Ready. Set. Go! Just try to stop a curious 18-month-old. Finding toys that capture their attention is quite a task so look for items that help develop their fine motor skills.

The Fropper is sure to bring out the giggles as tots hop and bounce their way around the room.
One of the hottest toys of the holiday season, Elmo Live is as close to the real thing as you can get. This version tells jokes, sings songs and perfectly imitates one of our favorite Muppets.
Get your lil one cooking with a tabletop kitchen. This Countertop Stove is part of Pottery Barn Kids' line of Eco-friendly wooden products.
Introduce toddlers to the world of arts and crafts with Crayola's TaDoodles Crayon Buddies, which are designed to fit right into the palms of their hands.
Encourage building and fine motor skill development with the Clipo Creativity Table that offers countless ways to create new things.
Take a page from your childhood and introduce your tot to the current version of the sit-n-spin with the Spin Around.

Source

Junior JetSet: A Theme Park for the Entire Family

babysugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:00:06 -0700

An amusement park for parents and children? Take me to it! Whether your child watches Sesame Street religiously or is a casual viewer, Sesame Place is destination for families looking for adventure this summer.

Located about 30 miles north of Philadelphia, the park features more than 30 attractions, including a dozen water rides, three live shows (including a live production of Elmo’s World), daily parades and visits from the entire Sesame crew. Unlike other parks we have reviewed, Sesame Place is designed for the seven and under crowd, meaning even toddlers are welcome on most rides.

To see what makes Sesame Place special, read more.

Inspired by the show’s characters, there are kiddie versions of the traditional pirate ship ride, an airplane ride, a brand new carousel, a simulated hot air balloon and the requisite tea cups.

But, he real action is over at the water rides, where you can take a leisurely inner-tube ride down Big Bird’s 1,000 foot Rambling River or swiftly glide though a system of water slides on a large raft with up to six of your nearest and dearest friends on the Sky Splash.

The highlight of the trip for most visitors is the interaction with the Sesame characters. Throughout the day, the monsters wander around posing for pictures, giving out hugs and putting smiles small faces.

The park is clean, smoke-free and of a manageable size. Bathrooms, with multiple changing tables, can be found throughout the park, and rarely have lines. The only downside of the park is their ticket policy, which requires all visitors over the age of 2 (adults and children) to pay the full ticket price of $48 per person.