LilSugar

Love Shack: Sweetheart Wreath Kit

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:00:56 PST

You may think wreaths are solely a symbol of Christmas, but they're used to celebrate dozens of other festivities, too. This Valentine's Day, I'm thinking of picking up this Sweetheart Wreath Kit ($19.50) from The Paper Source to hang on my door or maybe use as a centerpiece. The kit includes a wreath form, ribbon, assorted paper heart shapes, and adhesive squares to keep them in place. It probably wouldn't really be hard to make a similar one from scratch, but the kit eliminates the guesswork and cuts down my shopping list. Would you hang a Valentine's Day wreath?

Kiddie Soiree: Make Your Own Sign

babysugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:00:48 PST

It always seems that I go into a store with the intention of buying one thing and walk out with something completely different. Such was the case when I set out to buy party favors for my daughter's birthday. Instead of picking out trinkets, I bought tools to make a birthday sign. A fairly simple project, I was pleased with the results and hope it becomes a birthday heirloom that we will hang every year on her birthday.

To see the whole festive sign and how to make it,

Mommy's Lil Helper: Control a Kid Remote

babysugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 09:00:35 PST

Do you ever wish you could push a button to make your child stop crying? The folks at Worldwide Co. think they have figured out a way to keep some kids under, no pun intended, control. A few simple batteries and a touch of a button will have your wee one doing dishes, kissing "Granny," tackling homework, and tantrum free. Sounds too good to be true? It can even stop them from smoking and getting inked up or pierced in odd places! When they throw attitude your way, just punch "off" and relax.

Perfect for baby showers or even a teacher gag gift, these uproarious Control a Kid remote controls ($9) are sure to get a chuckle from the recipient and other guests.

Tea Party: Invitations

babysugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:00:00 PDT

If you're on board with the tea party theme, you might want to check out these simple and creative invitations that I crafted with supplies from my favorite paperie, Paper Source.

To see how to make them,

read more. I'm throwing this party for a friend who decorated her nursery in Tiffany blue, citrus orange, and brown. The couple doesn't know the baby's sex so I also wanted to be gender neutral with the invites. What I need to buy:

5 1/2" orange square cards.
5" white square cards.
5 3/4" turquoise square envelopes. (note postage is $0.50 for square envelopes.)
Brown grosgrain ribbon with white pattern.
Brown pen for labeling.
Standard hole punch (matching the width of your ribbon.)
Decorative hole punch.
Double–stick tape.
Scissors.

Now it's time to get down to business.

First, decide on the text you want to put on the invitation. You might want to print a sample out on regular computer paper first to make sure there are no mistakes and so you don't waste the pretty (and more expensive) card stock. Once perfected, print out all of your invitations on the printer.
Next, place double–stick tape on the back of the invitation and firmly press it onto the center of the orange squares.
Mark two dots where you want to center your ribbon (about an inch apart) and punch holes on the marks.
Take your ribbon and cut it into 5" long pieces. Thread the ribbon through the holes from front to back so the ends are on the backside. Next, pull the ends through the opposite holes and tighten the slack. Cut the edges of the ribbon at an angle to give it a finished touch and to keep it from unraveling.
Use the decorative hole punch (a heart in my case) and punch a hole in the bottom right hand corner of your envelope.
Place the invitation in the envelope, address, stamp, and toss in the mail!

View 11 Photos ›

Kiddie Soirée: Displaying That Baby Face

babysugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:00:26 PST

One of the best ways to add some flair to a baby shower or a baby's birthday party is to print out some pictures of the guest of honor and display them. For a baby shower, take baby pictures of the expectant couple and make photo copies of the originals. For a kid's birthday party, find the tot's best shots and do the same.

Use a corner cutter ($9) to soften the edges. If you want to make them a little fancier, double–stick tape to the photos to scalloped circle note cards ($7 for 20 cards).

Then decide how you want to show off the pretty pics. If you have a chandelier, you can punch holes near the top of the pictures and dangle them from the light fixture using ribbons. Or, you can use an Umbra fotofalls ($20) photo holder. Clip the snapshots to it and use it as a centerpiece for your party.

Your guests will ohhh and ahhh at the lil Martha Stewart you've become.

Pimp Your Crib: Paper in Frames

babysugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:00:23 PST

Artwork and murals can be perfect in some baby's rooms. But some spaces are too small for murals and art can get pricey. A friend of mine had a great idea that is simple and cost efficient. Find unique and whimsical papers and frame it in basic frames. It looks stunning and professional.

Paper Source and Two Hands Paperie always have a great selection of fabulous printed paper. Once you pick out your papers, find some picture frames like the ones from Target in different or same sizes and place your paper in them. Next you can plot out where you want to hang the framed beauties, put 'em up and you're done!

The Gifted Teacher

babysugar — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:00:23 PST

Teachers work hard to educate our children, stimulate their learning skills, and inspire them to read, write, and be creative. We all know that their salaries often don't reflect all of the effort that goes into their job. Teachers make a difference every day for scores of children - now it's our turn to make a difference for them.

Most teachers have to get up at the crack of dawn to meet and greet our lil angels so a piping hot cup of coffee that isn't from the teacher's lounge is a useful gift. Present them with a Starbucks gift card.

To see the rest of the ideas for teacher's gifts,

read more Stereotypically, teachers are said to carry huge canvas bags everywhere they go. While some do, it's nice to change it up a bit. Give your teacher something sassy to carry her papers, laptop or book around in. The silk vibrant laptop bag from Paper Source is sure to be a hit. And as shocking as it may be, teachers also have fulfilling lives outside of classrooms. Like most adults, they like to have a glass of wine on occasion. Put together a nice package of two wine glasses and a bottle of wine to add to a teacher's holiday cheer.

Starbucks Gift Card	Laptop Bag Paper Source ($49)
Williams-Sonoma Riedel Wine Glasses ($60)	Wente Vineyards Wines

Source

Get Organized: Fashionable File Folders

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 09:09:24 PDT

I'm really not as organized as I'd like to be, but if there's one organizational activity I can get excited about, it's filing papers. I don't know why, but there's just something very satisfying about making my way through a stack of documents and filing them all away in the proper folders.

But I know most of us could use some more motivation to get everything in order, so why not get some fashionable file folders to help you along? This Bob's Your Uncle In/Out/Limbo Set ($6) is adorable, but if that's not your style, I've found a lot more. Check out my favorites below.

11 Rules to Dramatically Increase Your Productivity

Wise Bread — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:04 PST

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

There's a problem with a lot of productivity advice out there, and it's this - your "rules" for personal productivity are often going to be different than mine. Sure, sometimes there's overlap. Sure, you can always learn from others.

But if you want to see a dramatic increase in your productivity, spend less time reading and memorizing other people's rules, and more time figuring out what your own rules are. You'll be more productive and in a way that works with who you are.

So I'm sharing a few of my personal productivity rules. Maybe some of them will work for you or inspire you to think of your own.

1. Small Daily Movements Become Big Accomplishments

I tend to think that I must have big blocks of time in order to get any forward movement. So I hesitate and procrastinate, waiting for that "open time" when I can really push and get a lot done on whatever the current project is.

Turns out, that's a waste of time. Small daily movements add up. It's just that the movements or steps themselves are so small, I think they don't count. They do.

I have to constantly remind myself that I don't need a whole day or a whole week to devote to some project. I just need to take the 10 or 20 minutes I have here and there and use them. I need to achieve a little bit of forward movement every day. That adds up, and it builds momentum, and pretty soon there's been quite a lot accomplished.

For more rules, read after the jump.

New Year's Resolution: Journal More!

Elka Karl — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:41:29 PST

How are your New Year's resolutions going? One of my resolutions was to carry a journal everywhere I go to jot down notes and ideas. Sadly, I still have to buy a journal! If you've resolved to keep a journal as well, I've rounded up some fun choices.

Keep track of your adventures (both naughty and nice) with the Shenanigans Letterpress Journal ($10). It would be perfect for party planning or keeping track of great new cocktail recipes - or however you choose to participate in your own personal shenanigans.

For the guy in your life, give him the Pelle California Handmade Leather Travel Journal ($40). Handmade in California, these journals are made with FSC-certified, eco-friendly linen and paper and US-sourced oil tanned leather. Each journal comes with a stringed book marker, a protective cloth travel bag, and an extra elastic band.

Looking for a lovely feminine option? The Rifle Paper Co. Botanicals Notebooks ($13) from Chronicle Books are a perfect choice. These colorful notebooks feature oil-stamped covers and vintage-inspired interiors. I love the gorgeous colors and dreamy blooms that decorate the cover.

Have your eye on another choice? Click on the image to shop!