LilSugar

Lil Find: Personalized Placemats

babysugar — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:00:58 PDT

I'm always looking for a cute birthday present that can be my standard gift for the year. When someone recently gifted my friend's son a few personalized placemats from Olive Kids ($10 each), I knew I found a winner.

With more than 40 designs, including popular holidays and traditional boy and girl themes, each heavy-duty laminated placemat is personalized with a child's name. The themes have helped to direct our dinner conversation, and allow us to practice our letter recognition.

The Secrets of the World's Healthiest Women

Health — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:45:10 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

From pouring on the olive oil like the Greeks to slashing stress like the Scandinavians, what we
can learn from the happiest, slimmest, longest-living cultures around the globe.

The secret to a long, healthy life in America? According to longevity researchers, it may be to act like you live somewhere else.

It seems like every year another country's lifestyle is touted as the new magic bullet to cure us of obesity, heart disease, and premature death: for an unclogged heart, herd goats and down olive oil like a Mediterranean. Avoid breast cancer and live to 100 by dining on tofu, Japanese-style. Stay as happy as Norwegians by hunting elk and foraging for cowberries.

Health.com: Weight-Loss Secrets From Around the World

The places we're usually told to emulate are known as Blue Zones or Cold Spots. Blue Zones were pinpointed by explorer Dan Buettner and a team of longevity researchers and are described in his book The Blue Zones: Lessons For Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest. They're areas in Italy, Japan, Greece, California, and Costa Rica where the people have traditionally stayed healthy and active to age 100 or older.

Keep on reading for more great tips from around the globe.

School Lunches From Around the World: How Does the US Compare?

Natasha Dantzig — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:32:50 PST

Let's eat! School lunch has become more that a simple matter of tots scarfing down some grub before returning to the playground. It's become a major public-policy debate with Michelle Obama making it her mission to see that American kids start eating healthier, more nutritious meals at that critical lunch hour. British import Jamie Oliver has also been vocal about reforming the dismal state of most US school lunches. Amid all the lunch debate, have you ever wondered what lil ones around the world are carrying in their lunch boxes? Take the following quiz and find out.

Take the Quiz

Heidi Klum, Seal, and Family Hit the Slopes in Aspen

Molly Goodson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 02:04:00 PST

Heidi Klum pulled along her daughter Lou in a sled during an family outing in Aspen on Monday. Heidi and Seal brought the kids to Colorado for Christmas, and the whole crew was spotted enjoying the Winter wonderland. Heidi also tweeted a sweet photo of her slopeside PDA with Seal during a break from snowboarding. Leni tried out her hand at skiing as well. The Klum-Samuels are just some of the famous faces who picked Aspen this holiday season. Mariah Carey stepped out in a full spandex ski suit over the weekend and Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell hosted their annual getaway with kids Kate, Oliver, and their families.

Happy Hanukkah! Fry Up Some Latkes For the First Night of Celebration

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:56:26 PST

On the first night of Hanukkah, my mommy gave to me - some yummy latkes made by me! We're wishing everyone celebrating the festival of lights a happy start to their holiday tonight! After the menorah, there are few symbols of the holiday as prevalent as the latke - that potato pancake fried up in olive oil and dipped in either applesauce or sour cream. While kids shouldn't be the ones handling the flipping in the hot oil, they can still help with the latke preparation so they can claim the dish as their own at your upcoming Hanukkah celebrations. Before unwrapping your presents tonight, check out how my lil helper got to work on our favorite latke recipe this past weekend then delved into a pile of the tasty, crispy treats!

Lil Links: Tips For Handling That Most Unpleasant Childhood Sickness

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:32:21 PST

How to handle a stomach virus in your home - Parenting
7 tips for a healthy pregnancy with diabetes – Health
13 ways to keep your kid entertained in a rear-facing seat - The Stir
Facebook's COO has figured out how to balance career, family, and life - Business Insider
Julie Bowen takes lil Oliver on a breakfast run - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Katherine Heigl wants three or four kids - Celebrity Baby Blog
Safe ways to moisturize pregnant skin during dry months - FitPregnancy
Why do childless people hate kids so much? - Momformation
Study shows babies like to judge - Yahoo! Shine

Pizza Is a Vegetable? Congress's Latest Bill Seems to Think So!

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:03:05 PST

Somebody call Jamie Oliver, because US legislators need a quick lesson in nutrition. Earlier this year, the Department of Agriculture introduced new school meal nutrition standards created in the wake of our childhood obesity epidemic. Among the lunch-line changes were new standards limiting the use of potatoes and sodium and increasing the use of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the cafeteria.

Congress, it seems, doesn't agree with the revised standards. This week, the legislative body put forth its latest spending bill - including budgets for the USDA - that will put tater tots back on school menus and consider pizza containing two tablespoons of tomato paste a vegetable. Yes, the simple presence of tomato paste allows a white flour, fat-laden meal to classify as a veggie. Congress argues that the USDA's recommendations were too expensive to enforce.

What do you think? Should cuts be made elsewhere to ensure that kids receive healthier meals in school? Or is it OK to consider pizza a vegetable?

Yummy Yummy in My Tummy! Healthy Sweet Potato Corn Bread Recipe

LilSugar — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 03:16:15 PDT

Sweet potato goodness! Halloween is over and done with, and as Mama stores away the costumes, she's already planning for the next upcoming holiday - Thanksgiving! Corn bread is a favorite for most holiday feasts and since sweet potato is one of the most kid-friendly veggies around, a sweet potato corn bread sounds like a sure crowd-pleaser. What makes this recipe extra special is that it's vegan. No eggs are used in this recipe - and all-purpose flour is substituted for whole wheat flour, while vegetable oil is replaced with olive oil. It's a healthy side dish for kids of all ages!

Source: Gilda Mulero of Naturally Tasty

Keep reading for the healthy, kid-friendly recipe!

Add a Halloween Twist to After-School Pita Snacks

BabyCenter — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:03:55 PDT

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 over on BabyCenter, including this creative Halloween snack post from Make and Take's Marie LeBaron.

My kids are hungry after they get home from school. They've been sitting and learning and playing for almost 6 hours in the day and are ready for more fuel when they get home. So we're always looking for fresh ideas for an after-school snack and these Jack o' Lantern Pita Snacks are hitting the spot!

Related: 5 Things I Can't Do After Kids

Ingredients:

pita bread, one per jack o' lantern
hummus spread
yellow food coloring (optional) - to help tint the hummus orange for a pumpkin
toppings: cheese, olives, mushrooms, cucumber, carrots

Gather all of your ingredients in bowls on a tray, along with a few plates for the kids, then let them get to work.

Spread a spoonful of your hummus on top of your pita bread.
Add toppings to your hummus pita bread to create a jack o' lantern face.

Let the kids get creative, but remind them that they will be eating this creation and everything on it. This is a great way to help get your kids to eat their veggies or try something new.

Happy Halloween!

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
Woman Runs Marathon and Then Has Baby
Homemade Play Dough
Pregnancy and Body Image: Too Fat For Photos?
When a Stranger Interferes With Your Parenting

Jamie Oliver on Food Revolution 2, Huntington a Year Later, and LA Schools

Susannah Chen — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:22:29 PDT

With Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, British culinary celebrity Jamie Oliver has made a name for himself as an advocate for healthier American eating. The show's first season, shot in obesity-stricken Huntington, WV, received critical acclaim and garnered a Primetime Emmy in 2010.

Food Revolution's second season returns to ABC April 12 at 8 p.m. The comeback takes place in Los Angeles and faces an entirely new set of challenges, including resistance from the city's public school system.

While in South Beach, Katie and I took a minute to ask the chef about season two, his troubles with the Los Angeles school system, and what he thought of Huntington losing its school funding. His surprising answers, when you read more.