LilSugar

The Pull Present

babysugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:00:00 PDT

Okay, so the father doesn't actually pull the baby out per se, but he's often there to mentally coax mama along as she pushes the baby into the world. It has become common practice in recent years for men to bestow a gift upon their wives for birthing their child. Whether it's a card, balloons, roses, or a diamond tennis bracelet, it's nice to be recognized for nine months of hard work.

When I had my first child, I gave my husband a lil something to thank him for all of his coaching, attention to detail and concern during my childbearing months. Here are some ideas if you're looking to give your daddy a "pull" present, too.
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How to Get the Most Flattering Bangs

Allure — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:41:54 PST

We're happy to present this story from our friends at Allure:

The year is starting off with a bang ... er, lots of bangs. More and more celebs are taking a page from Zooey Deschanel's book, and stepping out in long, statement-making fringe. There's Jessica Biel's ultra-trendy thick bangs, Taylor Swift's wispy style, and Olivia Wilde's side-swept ones. If you want to get in on the trend, there's more to consider than just the inevitability of growing them out. Each style of bangs works best with a certain face shape - so before you head to the salon with a picture of your favorite actress, find your most flattering fringe using these guidelines.

Uh Oh! Watch Out For These 12 IRS Audit Red Flags

Kiplinger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:06:09 PST

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

The IRS audits only slightly more than 1% of all individual tax returns annually. The agency doesn't have enough personnel and resources to examine each and every tax return filed during a year. So the odds are pretty low that your return will be picked for review. And, of course, the only reason filers should worry about an audit is if they are fudging on their taxes.

However, the chances of being audited or otherwise hearing from the IRS increase depending upon various factors, including your income level, whether you omitted income, the types of deductions or losses you claimed, the business in which you're engaged and whether you own foreign assets. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they'll rarely lead to a full-blown exam. Although there's no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, you should be aware of red flags that could increase your chances of drawing unwanted attention from the IRS.

1. Making too much money

Although the overall individual audit rate is about 1.11%, the odds increase dramatically for higher-income filers. IRS statistics show that people with incomes of $200,000 or higher had an audit rate of 3.93%, or one out of slightly more than every 25 returns. Report $1 million or more of income? There's a one-in-eight chance your return will be audited. The audit rate drops significantly for filers making less than $200,000: Only 1.02% of such returns were audited during 2011, and the vast majority of these exams were conducted by mail. We're not saying you should try to make less money - everyone wants to be a millionaire. Just understand that the more income shown on your return, the more likely it is that you'll be hearing from the IRS.

Read on for more red flags.

We Love Anna Dello Russo's Fashion Week Style - See All of Her Looks Thus Far

Marisa Tom — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:34:34 PST

There are few people who can pull off the good and the wildly fantastical looks we see come down the runway as well as Vogue Japan's editor-at-large Anna Dello Russo does. Her absolute love of fashion is apparent in every luxe fur coat, ornate dress, silky bomber jacket, leather pant, oversized fascinator, vintage necklace, and enviable pair of heels she wears - and therefore, we can't help but admire her effortlessly cool commitment to style. Now that the frenzied lineup of fashion weeks has kicked off, we've been treated to a great dose of ADR sightings, including a glam veiled look at Prada's 24 Hours Museum opening in Paris last night and a shimmery mix of fur and metallics at Alberta Ferretti's limited-edition presentation. Click through to see up-to-the-minute Anna Dello Russo moments as she traipses her way through Milan's Men's Fashion Week, Couture Fashion Week, and beyond.

How to Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses

LearnVest — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:15:16 PST

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

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like there are many money lessons to learn from The Real Housewives.

One spent a season building a $1.8 million mansion and driving around a $1,280-per-month Escalade, only to file for bankruptcy with almost $11 million in debt.

Shortly postbankruptcy, she dropped another $60,000 on a shopping spree so she could continue to fit in with those in her social circle.

Even if you don’t end up with millions of dollars in debt - or have friends who are millionaires - trying to keep up with the Joneses (or the Gorgas, in this case) can not only make you feel lousy about yourself, but also inspire bad spending decisions. We call this phenomenon “money comparisonitis.”

How Having "Comparisonitis" Affects Us

In our own lives, the dangers of gazing enviously at the Real Housewives’ spending sprees, our neighbor’s new car, or that family down the street who can send their kids to private school are not only the fact that it makes us feel bad, but that it literally distorts our view of reality.

In other words, we look at celebrities like the Kardashians or the wealthier people we know, and we try to emulate their spending habits. “You’re not being truthful with yourself,” says Susan L. Hirshman, president of She Ltd., a consulting firm focused on enhancing women’s wealth, and the author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?. “As they make more money, that allows them to live a certain lifestyle.” In other words, you have to face facts and spend in accordance with your own budget, rather than feeling entitled to live a certain way just because other people do.

Read on for more.

DIY Ideas: 14 Home Improvement Projects That Cost Under $10

Stylelist Home — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:01:58 PST

I'm excited to present a post from one of my favorite sites, Stylelist Home!

Believe it or not, redecorating your home doesn't need to be a massive and expensive project. Simple touches like adding a decorative tray or changing your pillow cases can have dramatic effects. To help you get inspired, we pulled together 14 easy decorating ideas that will update your home without breaking your budget. In fact, most of these projects are completely free . . . and the rest weigh in at under $10.

Rearrange the bookshelf. Reorganizing the bookshelf will easily make an entire room look more styled and polished, and you don't even have to get rid of anything. One tip is to arrange your books so they look like a smooth landscape of rolling hills. Put the tallest in the middle and fan out to the smallest or create multiple peaks (as long as the books flow together) or lay a few books on their side and stack them like a pyramid.
Rearrange your furniture. This may sound simple, but rearranging furniture is a great (and free!) way to completely change the look and feel of your home. If you always find yourself climbing over an ottoman, move your couch back to create a passing lane. Is it too cramped? Try moving your side table to another room that's more spacious.
Change a light switch plate. Finding the light switch is always a daunting task, especially for guests. So why not try decoupaging pretty patterned paper to the plate for a nice pop of color? Your friends will thank you and a little touch of color will liven up any space.
Make pillow covers. One yard of fabric is all you need to make two adorable decorative pillow covers. Adding a fresh pattern or color to your living room or bed will elevate the design and you can buy designer fabrics on sale for an inexpensive price.
Buy fresh flowers. A vase full of fresh flowers instantly brings life to any space, especially in the dreary winter months when everything outside is cold and pretty lackluster. You don't need to get fancy-a bouquet of supermarket roses in a happy hue is enough to make a difference.

Want to find out the rest of the tips? Get all 14 DIY home improvement ideas when you read the rest of the post on Stylelist Home!

11 Ways to Expertly Style Your Bookshelves

Angela Swinderman Elias — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:00:22 PST

Bookshelves are present in practically every home, but making them transcend function to actually look beautiful can sometimes be tricky. I've pulled together some of my favorite examples of shelves that artfully organize and elevate the design of the rooms they are in. Whether you're building a custom bookshelf, picking up a unit from Ikea, or re-imagining another piece of furniture, I have tips on how to get the most out of each look. See how adding wallpaper, paint, decorative objects, and unexpected features can transform your bookshelves into spectacular focal pieces for your home!

How to Fight Your Financial Demons

LearnVest — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:15:23 PST

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

We all have our demons.

Some just lurk under the bed, but others bare their teeth as we go about our day - say, every time we pull out our wallet.

Financial demons are particularly vicious because their effects aren’t confined to the pages of our journal or emails to our best friend. Our finances permeate just about every aspect of our lives, from where we live to the job and lifestyle we choose.

And for that reason, our financial demons can be particularly invasive - and toxic.

But the good news is that demons can definitely be vanquished (or subdued, at the very least). As with anything, they can be worn down with the right tools and the right mind-set. Fortunately, we have both.

First, identify your demon . . . or demons. Then we’ll show you exactly how to send them packing.

If You Have Shopping Demons . . .

The Tools: As you know, “just stop shopping” isn’t helpful advice. Instead, look at your habit from the other end: Your closet. Your makeup bag. Or your gadget collection, depending on the spending that’s most problematic for you. Use our process from Priceless Style Boot Camp to evaluate your 10 most recent purchases. If lots of your recent buys are rated “not worth it,” it’s time to reevaluate your spending patterns. The first step is to avoid letting one bad spending choice drag you into a downward spiral. If you suspect you’re currently in such a phase, you can use this tool to spiral back up. If your purchases are all rated “worth it,” but you know you’re shopping too much, take a close look at your last month of spending and ask yourself whether you’re truly happy with everything you bought, or if that same amount of money could have been applied to a different financial goal, whether it's bulking up your emergency fund or beginning to invest.

Read on for more.

Hollywood Makeup Artist Brett Freedman's Top 5 Drugstore Picks

Guest Writer — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:02:00 PST

We're proud to present the following post by celebrity makeup artist and Vanitymark Cosmetics founder, Brett Freedman.

I don't know anyone that doesn't have a mix of department store and drugstore cosmetics in her bag. Makeup artists, too, pull from both sources for their arsenal. It used to be that drugstore brands were obviously lower-watt than their larger price-tagged friends. These days the line is blurred. With many higher- and lower-priced brands owned by the same companies, the drugstore lines have benefited from creamier textures, higher pigment count, and of-the-moment shades.

For me, I generally stumble on a drugstore product when I'm traveling and need to grab something quick. What keeps me coming back for more? A unique shade, usually. A fab finish runs a quick second, and third is texture. Here are some of my favorites, all under $10.

Photo courtesy of Vanitymark Cosmetics

Moonrise Kingdom Trailer: Bruce Willis and Edward Norton Go Retro in Wes Anderson's Latest

Lizzie Fuhr — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:48:41 PST

Ever since we heard Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola were teaming up to write a screenplay, we've been patiently waiting for the trailer to present itself. Today, we finally got a taste of what Moonrise Kingdom has in store. And although it's live-action flick, Anderson's latest feels a lot more like Fantastic Mr. Fox than The Royal Tenenbaums. Set in a dreamy 1960s haze, 12-year-olds Suzy and Sam fall in love and plot to run away together deep into the New England forest. (This should prove to be no issue since Sam is a Khaki Scout, and his troop leader is Edward Norton.)

In true Wes Anderson fashion, there's an all-star cast with the usual suspects like Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray, along with some new names like Tilda Swinton, Bruce Willis, and Frances McDormand. Everything about this trailer is romantic and quirky, sweeping us off to another world, presented in a way only Anderson can pull off. To see what I mean,