LilSugar

Tell Mommy: What Do Your Kids Always Misplace?

LilSugar — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:00:56 PDT

No matter how organized I am when we're headed out the door, my husband, or children are usually missing something. Whether it's a misplaced key, wallet, backpack, permission slip, toy, hair tie, or pair of socks - items, small and large, seem to disappear into thin air in our flat. Usually, they are uncovered in a matter of minutes or months. But, I can almost always guess what's been lost. For my daughter, it's her toothbrush and with my son, it's a shoe. If time allots, we turn the place upside down, if it doesn't we table the search party for a more convenient time. Does this happen to you?

Eat Cake For Breakfast and Lose Weight, Study Says

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:21:52 PST

If your insatiable sweet tooth is preventing you from losing weight, findings from a recent study may be just the thing to help you slim down. Researchers found those who ate a large breakfast that included something sweet lost weight and were able to keep off more pounds than those who ate a small breakfast.

A group of 193 obese adults (not a huge study) were split into two groups. One ate a large, 600-calorie breakfast that included a sweet item such as a cookie, cake, or doughnut. The other group ate a 300-calorie breakfast with no dessert. Both groups ate the same amount of calories daily: 1,600 for men and 1,400 for women.

Keep reading to find out more details about cake and weight loss.

10 Things You Do to Save Money That End Up Costing You More

Wise Bread — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:15:37 PST

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

Have you heard of the expression “penny wise, pound foolish”? It’s something I heard a lot growing up, from my parents, and it can have multiple meanings:

You are very careful with small amounts of money, but throw caution to the wind with large amounts. This is akin to someone who eats from the dollar menu every day but then blows a hundred dollars every month on a gym membership that’s never used.
You do things to save money now, only to have those savings cost you more farther down the road.

The second definition is what I’m focusing on today, because it’s a lot easier to fall into the trap of saving money only to have it bite you later on. Here then are 10 things that you may be doing to save money that could actually cost you a lot more in the weeks, months, or years to come.

RELATED: The Case For Expensive Shoes

1. Avoiding Regular Checkups With the Doctor, Dentist, or Optician

It’s something I did in college when money was tight. “Aah, who needs to pay money to a dentist to have him tell me I should floss more?” Well, after leaving the dentist alone for a few years, I paid the price. Avoiding the regular cleanings and checkups left me facing a hefty bill later on when I needed a bunch of costly fillings. I was lucky that I didn’t need root canals or replacement teeth. Now I have a dental plan that covers free checkups twice a year, but even if you don’t, get to the dentist and doctor for health checks. It’s a lot better to pay a co-pay now than pay for major surgery later on. And worse still, it could even cost you your life, especially as so many conditions can be treated if they’re caught early enough.

Read on for more.

Fresh Start Resolution: Organize Your Desk

SavvySugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:06:48 PST

Having an organized workspace will streamline your schedule and boost your productivity, so take some time to assess your desk situation and sort your supplies. Whether you're in need of a major overhaul or just a mini makeover, you can follow these six easy steps to create a clean, clutter-free desk space.

Clear it all out. Before you can arrange your things or add new supplies, you'll need to take stock of what you already have at your desk. Begin by emptying any drawers and pulling folders from the shelves. As you remove the items, sort them into categories: keep, toss, and undecided. Set the undecided pieces aside to deal with later.
Sort by type. Divide the keep pile into loose papers, folders, tools, and personal items. Designate specific drawers or shelves for each category before moving forward, and remember to arrange them in a way that's tailored to your work habits.
Deal with the paper situation. Every piece of paper should be put into a folder or file, even if it's just a "deal with later" folder that you check at the end of each day. Loose items can get lost, so it's important to create a space for every document.

Keep reading for more desk organization tips.

Dry Cleaning Dos and Don'ts

SavvySugar — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:43:35 PST

Tough-to-clean sequins and silk shine this time of year, which means regular trips to the dry cleaners. Since the fancy fabrics tend to be used for more expensive items, it's important to care for them correctly. Keep your party wear in celebratory shape by following these essential tips.

Don't bring a giant basket of inside-out items into a random cleaners. You should research beforehand to be sure that the business is reputable and well-established.
Do take stock of your clothing before making the trip. Check to see that all items are right-side-out, yes, but also inspect the tags and take note of any special care instructions.

Don't simply drop your bundle and go. Sure, you have plenty of other things on your to-do list, but it's worth taking the extra time to confirm that your clothing is tended to properly.
Do get to know your dry cleaner. Spend a few extra minutes talking to the person in charge to discuss any concerns and ask about available deals that may cut costs.

Don't shove your ticket to the bottom of your purse. It will inevitably fall into the deepest depths of your bag where the gum wrappers reside until you throw it all away a few days later.
Do keep the ticket in your wallet. Leave it in a place that you look through daily so that you remember to pick up your order on time. If you leave your clothes at the cleaners for too long, you run the risk of pieces getting lost.

Don't immediately hang the clean clothes in your closet. Yes, it's annoying to deal with the plastic wrap, but dry cleaning is a chemical-filled process, and you'll be exposing those chemicals to the rest of your wardrobe.
Do remove the wrap right away. Once the items are uncovered, slide them onto your own hangers and hang the pieces in an area with regular ventilation. It's important to let the clothes air out to ensure that the fabric is chemical-free and ready to wear.

Nutrition Myths That Can Cause Weight Gain

Shape — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:04:23 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Myth: Going Vegan Will Make You Lose Weight
"While various research shows that vegetarians and vegans, on average, consume fewer calories and less fat than omnivores (a 2009 Oxford study found that vegetarians weigh 3 to 20 percent less than their meat-eating counterparts, and a National Cancer Institute study found that subjects who consumed four ounces or more of red meat weekly were 30 percent more likely to die of any cause than those who ate less), these numbers may be misleading," says Rania Batayneh, MPH, a certified nutritionist and owner of Essential Nutrition for You.

Going vegan solely for weight loss can backfire, big time. If you aren’t vigilant with a vegan diet, it’s easy to lack in vital nutrients, vitamins, and proteins, which give you energy and help keep your metabolism stoked. Many first-time vegans may also find themselves reaching for more processed foods like vegan cookies, chips, or even ‘ice cream’ more often with such a restricted diet, and many end up packing on the pounds instead.

If you do decide to adopt a vegan diet, be sure to keep the ‘treats’ to a minimum and plan balanced meals (we love ‘Domestic Vegan’ Diva Jessica Olson’s tips for "going veg"). "Aim to get about 10 to 20 percent of your calories from protein (or about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight), replacing animal protein with healthy plant proteins, like those found in beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy products," Batayneh says. "And, whether you are vegan or not, eating more green, leafy vegetables is great for your health and your waistline."

See which other diet habits may also being causing weight gain after the break!

8 Steps to Being Happy Without Spending a Dime

Emily Co — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:10:54 PST

Happiness is something you can't put a price on, and it's something you shouldn't take for granted. Despite what you think, no fancy car, flashy bling, or other material possessions will make you happy. True happiness has to come from within and just like most things in life, it takes effort and hard work to achieve it. Here are eight simple steps to becoming a happier person:

Stop being materialistic: If you find joy in things, that happiness will be short lived. Because what you have will never be enough, and things can always be lost or broken. Wanting what you don't have will create unhappiness, so you should always be content with what you do currently have.
Not defining yourself with a title: Just like material possessions, titles can always be lost. If you define yourself by an occupation or a role you carry, such as a doctor or being a mother, you may feel lost if the title was taken away from you. You need to find happiness in your own self and just be happy about being you.
Getting rid of your clutter: Having too much clutter in your house can take a toll because a disorganized mess can cause inner turmoil and stress. Take steps to reduce the clutter in your home by throwing out, donating, or selling items you don't use or need.
Meditating: Meditation is an extremely powerful tool. In fact, scientists have found that people who have trained in meditation have different brain activity than those who haven't trained. They respond better to situations that would cause us to lose emotional control.

Read on for more.

5 Ways You Unintentionally Stress Yourself Out (and How to Relax)

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:27:05 PST

Every time you experience stress, pressure is put on the adrenal glands, which then pump adrenaline into your bloodstream. The thing is, constant stress can lead to problems like chronic fatigue, weight gain, weakened immunity, and a shorter lifespan. The good thing is that the majority of life's daily stresses can be reduced with proper awareness, practice, and discipline. See what little things you are doing every day that unintentionally stress your body out, and find out how you can relax in these moments.

Running late to work: If you hit the snooze button every day, chances are you are scrambling to make up lost time. Hurrying through breakfast or skipping out on it altogether wreaks havoc on your digestive system and blood sugar levels. Rushing to get out the door can leave you frazzled, messy, and forgetful, especially when it comes to the important things like keys, your wallet, or umbrella.

How to relax: The night before, put out everything you need for the following day; keep the most important items near the front door. If you are consistently 15 minutes late every morning, set your alarm back the same amount of time. Make sure to sit down for breakfast, allowing yourself 30 minutes to eat. Try these recipes for make-ahead breakfasts.

Stressful thinking: Sometimes our thoughts make the world a more stressful place than it is. What is actually a manageable list of tasks can seem unconquerable to the mind. When the noggin starts churning, it's hard to step back and look at the full picture.

How to relax: If you find yourself caught in a stressful thought, pay attention to your facial expressions and breathing. Relax your face, close your eyes, and take a long full inhale. Bring yourself back to reality and the present moment and create a plan, mapping out your steps and timeline for completion.

Find out other three stresses and how to avoid them.

Guerrilla Guide to the Holidays: Holiday Etiquette

LearnVest — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:15:17 PST

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

As the holidays approach (just seven weeks away!), you’re only getting more prepared.

If you’ve been following our weekly Guerrilla Guide to the Holidays, you’ve already made your travel plans and selected the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.

And it’s only the first week of November.

Since you definitely don’t want to quit while you’re ahead, the next thing we’ll help you cross off your to-do list is . . . mastering holiday etiquette.

While it’s certainly a time of year to express appreciation, all those family visits and rites of gift-giving, whether with friends or coworkers, can also mean frayed nerves, stepped-on toes or general awkwardness.

But guess what? With a little preparation - and our guide to holiday etiquette - you can navigate the next few weeks with nothing but grace, gratitude and good cheer.

Handling Awkward Money Situations

Family and Money:

It’s the Murphy’s Law of Relationships: The people who love us most also have the greatest power to hurt our feelings. Combine the general sensitivity surrounding money issues with the kinds of probing questions that family members have a knack for asking, add a dose of holiday stress, and anyone can end up in an explosive situation.

But you can ward off fights with this simple, disarming tip: When someone inevitably asks, “When are you going to get a bigger house?” or “Why did you buy such an expensive purse?”, simply respond, “Thanks for your concern about my personal finances. You’ll be happy to know that I budget carefully and am in good control of my money, which is why I’m waiting to buy a bigger place/I was able to get this purse.” Then go back to eating your cookie.

Old Friends and Finances:

You come back home and want to see all of your best friends from high school-only now one makes three times what you do, while you know another just lost her job.

Here’s how to catch up with each, without letting money come between you.

Snacking While You Shop at the Grocery Store Could Get You Arrested!

LilSugar — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:02:48 PDT

A trip to the grocery store in Honolulu ended with two parents in jail and a 2-year-old toddler under the care of Child Protective Services (CPS) for a family that had relocated to the area from California a week earlier.

After getting lost on their way to the grocery store, Nicole Leszczynski, 30 weeks pregnant, felt faint and openly munched on two chicken salad sandwiches ($5) while keeping the wrappers in the shopping cart to be scanned at the register - but she and her husband forgot to pay for the sandwiches and were stopped by a security guard on the way out. The chain of events that unraveled next are almost too bizarre to comprehend - and a parent's worst nightmare. Store managers of the Safeway grocery store refused to let the couple pay for the items and had the couple arrested for shoplifting. CPS was called in to take the couple's 2-year old daughter, Zofia, into custody, where she spent the night before being reunited once again with her parents 18 hours later.

Nicole explained that grocery shopping brings some anxiety for her now, especially after reading comments online criticizing her for eating before paying. "I didn't know it was such a taboo thing," she said. "Where I grew up in a small town it's not seen as stealing for sure."