LilSugar

Lil Find: Taro Gomi Drawing Books

babysugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:00:32 -0700

When your tot grows tired of the yellow lined legal pad, treat him to a super special Taro Gomi drawing book.

Since there are four different books to choose from, there's one for every lil artist.

If your honey needs a little direction, Scribbles ($14) or Doodles ($14) might be the right choice as they gives wee ones an image to build on for every page.

To see what else there is to choose from, read more.

If your kid is into paints and drawing, he can expand his imagination and talents on the plentiful illustrations in Squiggles ($14). And if you're trying to teach your babe a thing or two about the seasons, check out Doodle All Year ($12) where springtime animals, Summer fruit, Fall foods and Winter weather are all topics of doodling discussion.

One thing is certain, your sweetheart will be a busy bee with all of those pages and crayons. You can put "Mommy are we there yet?" to rest with a lil help from Taro Gomi.

Doodles by Taro Gomi ($14)	Squiggles by Taro Gomi ($14)
Scribbles by Taro Gomi ($14)	Doodle All Year by Taro Gomi ($12)

Trendtotting: Scribble Couture

babysugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:00:19 -0700

Your lil Picasso shouldn't be denied his time in the spotlight.

We've already tipped you off on how to wear junior's masterpieces around your neck. But, if you're not into jewelry, you might like the option of having the artwork embroidered onto a bag. To find out how, read more.

Scribble Couture will take your tot's magnum opus and have it stitched onto a leather, canvas or silk bag for the rest of the world to see and enjoy.

Guaranteed to be a show stopper, it gives you the perfect opportunity for you to brag and reinforce you wee one's creative confidence.

You'll have to part with at least one Benjamin to get the goods. Prices start at $119.

Scribble Couture Clutch ($119)	Scribble Couture Box Bag ($159)
Scribble Couture Black Leather Clutch ($189)	Scribble Couture Oversized Leather Tote ($329)	Scribble Couture Canvas and Leather Tote ($189)

Cotton on Kids Tees: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Cheeky baby tees are too much for some families. Moms and dads who snatched up the Famous on Facebook onesie for their youngsters are steering clear of more brash tees made by Cotton on Kids. The simple shirts have sayings from "The condom broke" to "Pardon my nipple breath" and "I'm living proof my mum is easy" to "Practice safe sex" scribbled across their chests. Some parents are saying the controversial tees have crossed the line and should be pulled from the market. What's your take?

Privately Marking Momentous Occasions For Munchkins

babysugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:00:56 -0700

Who needs paper and a pen when a keyboard and a screen will do? Tech-savvy parents have ditched the scribbling of notes and have taken to blogging about baby. While such platforms provide folks an easy outlet for storytelling or displaying photos of their wee ones, some people fret over the possibility of intimate information going beyond their circle of friends.

For families who are fearful of such instances, there's an easy way to keep tabs on tots while keeping private matters confidential. Set up an email account for the newborn that she can use when she is older. Every time she says something silly or passes a milestone, send her an email documenting it. To keep grandparents in the know, copy them on it. The dialogue that follows will further enrich the conversation. When your child is older, she will be able to click through and read a virtual diary of her life.
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Lactation Consultants Lead Babies to Mother's Milk

babysugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:00:08 -0700

Expectant mamas planning on nursing their newborn straight out of the womb are often surprised by the task - especially first time mothers. Some lucky mamas may slip into a nice natural groove while others, like myself, find themselves tortured by the pain. After a few agitated days of breastfeeding, I buckled under pressure and sought out a lactation consultant to advise me on my practices.

We shook hands and introduced ourselves as any strangers might do in a work place. But then we quickly got down to business. She asked me the details of my daughter's nursing habits - when, how long, what position and which sides, etc. To judge for herself, she asked me to put my daughter on the breast. In her small office, I sat in the most upright position with a nursing stool, a Brest Friend wrapped around my waist, and fed my newborn as my husband, mom and lactation consultant looked on.

To see how it all worked out, read more.
Quickly she pressed my infant's face harder onto the boob leaving her little room to pull off. After a few minutes of purveying the situation, the consultant scribbled a page worth of notes, handed me a pack of Lily Padz for my ailing tatas and weighed my baby. Almost instantly, she had the answer to my problem. After about 30 minutes of counseling, I thanked her and offered her a hug as if I had known her my whole life. I guess baring my breasts to a total stranger has that effect on me. But more than that, I wanted her to know how much I appreciated her helping me along the path to successful and (less) painless breastfeeding.

Did you seek out a lactation consultant?
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Kidoodle: The Cheap, Easy Way to Create Window Art

LilSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:00:02 -0700

Moms are always looking for fun, entertaining ideas to keep their tots busy throughout the day's waning hours. We were recently sent a pack of Crayola's new Window Crayons ($6) and decided to test them out with a hard-to-impress preschooler during that harried hour before dinner.

The pack comes with five basic, bold colors that easily glide onto a window or mirror surface. The variety of shades and ease with which they could be manipulated, made them an instant hit. Once our tester saw how his drawings "glowed" when the sun hit them, he went to work scribbling, writing and finally narrating a whole story while he drew. When he was through, the entire window was covered and the colors had not smudged a bit. We stepped back and admired his work before it was time for the tot to clean up!

View 5 Photos ›

To see the biggest drawback of the crayons, read more.
Though the packaging claims that the crayons are washable, it took ten paper towels, and a lot of glass cleaner, to make our windows sparkle again. However, when I looked at the clock and saw that it occupied over an hour of the youngster's time, cost a few bucks and had a lot of uses left in its twistable tube, I figured they were worth the elbow grease!

12 Ways to Display Kid Art and Pictures

LilSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Almost 80 percent of lilsugar readers let their children decorate their own rooms, but some artistic accents need an adult touch. Thanks to encouragement from CasaSugar, I try and put thought into my children's living space and ensure their surroundings reflect our family's love and sense of fun. My children draw, paint and scribble a gallery's worth of masterpieces weekly and our photo collection is embarrassingly large so I am constantly seeking new ways to show both off. Here are some of my suggestions for turning those pieces of artwork into wall worthy decorations.

View Slideshow ›

Interview with Kate Gosselin: Feeding a Family of 10

LilSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:00:00 -0700

Parents watch TLC's Jon and Kate Plus 8 in shock and awe. Moms and dads are awed by the way the young couple, Jon and Kate, are raising two sets of multiples and shocked by the fact that all the children - Cara, Mady, Alexis, Hannah, Leah, Aaden, Collin, and Joel - eat! The twins' and sextuplets' diets don't consist of just peanut butter and jelly and buttered pasta; they entertain their pint-sized palates with everything from traditional Korean food to cracked crab and fresh vegetables.

lilsugar recently had the opportunity to ask queen of the Gosselin kitchen, Kate, a few questions about feeding her family of ten, the importance of an organic diet, and her recent partnership with the Grains Foods Foundation to promote brown bag lunches. To see her tips and what she had to say, read more.

lilsugar: Why did you decide to team up with the Grains Foods Foundation?

KG: These days, everyone is looking for ways to cut costs while still managing to eat healthy. With a family of 10, we’re certainly no different. We’ve been brown bagging for years and I’m working with the Grain Foods Foundation to show other families how packing lunches can be an easy and fun way to save money and eat healthy. There’s even a calculator on their website - grainpower.org - that shows how much money and calories you can save when you pack a lunch instead of eating out. It’s amazing!

lilsugar: Does or did incorporating grains into the Gosselin family diet bring down the food bill?

KG: Definitely. Grains like bread, crackers, pretzels, and granola bars have always been a part of our family diet because they are affordable, delicious and nutritious. We go through a loaf of bread at every meal so I usually buy a whole flat of bread at one time!

lilsugar: How important do you think it is to raise children on an organic diet?

KG: More than anything, I think it’s important to raise children on a healthy diet. As I’m sure you’ve seen on the show, I try to find fruits and vegetables from local farm stands but when that isn’t possible, there are always great and healthy options available at the supermarket.

lilsugar: As someone who fed a family of 10 on a budget, what tips would you offer other mothers to cut costs?

KG: Pay attention to the things that are on sale, clip coupons and, above all, avoid buying things that you don't need. Being organized and planning ahead is one of the best ways to stick to a budget. I know it’s not always easy for families to plan ahead but making sandwiches and packing lunches is a relatively simple way to save money and eat healthy. Nutrition has always been important to me personally as a woman, a nurse and especially as a mom.

lilsugar: On Jon and Kate Plus 8, your children seem to eat all of the healthy things you prepare. How have you managed to raise eight adventurous eaters?

KG: I have always prepared healthy meals without other options. I firmly believe that if they are hungry, they will eat what is in front of them. I also do not "over-snack" them. That said, if they do have a snack, it's usually something with grains (pretzels, wheat crackers, etc).

lilsugar: What are your family's favorite meals? Are there any foods your children do not like?

KG: We have a lot of favorites and I believe in exposing kids to a variety of foods from a very young age to avoid those childhood ruts (eating and wanting to eat the same four things for every meal).

lilsugar: You are often filmed packing cereal bags, lunches and picnics prior to outings on your show, do you do that for convenience or to save money?

KG: Both. Packing lunches and snacks ahead of time saves us money and help me make sure my family eats healthy no matter where we are. It ensures I’ll have something nutritious on hand when we’re away from home.

lilsugar: Do you have advice for moms on how to pack lunches that children will actually eat?

KG: Try to make their lunches fun. Include a note in their lunch bag or scribble words of inspiration on a napkin. And if you want to get really creative, use cookie cutters to transform your child’s sandwich into a work of art – or even into their initials. These little surprises are sure to bring a smile to their face.

Another thing I do is aim for variety. For instance, I’ll make them checkerboard sandwiches where I mix up the bread - using one slice of light colored bread and one slice of a darker bread, I simply cut the sandwiches into quarters and flip two of the quarters over to make a checkerboard. This is a great way to start introducing kids to whole grain bread. Kids love fun-looking food, even if it’s good for them!

lilsugar: You are extraordinarily organized. Do you have favorite products to pack food in a certain type of cereal bag, lunch box or drink container, etc.?

KG: I love cute reusable lunch bags and am a huge fan of color coding. With a family of 10, everyone having their own special color makes things much easier! Plus, it fosters a sense of ownership in the kids, which makes it less likely they’ll leave it behind or swap it with another child’s lunch!

lilsugar: You make cool, interactive snacks from edible play-dough to the pudding paint, do you have others?

KG: Those are the latest ones. Anything that is able to be eaten as well as fun (and healthy!) thrills my kids!

lilsugar: What is your family's favorite edible splurge, for example, ice cream for dinner?

KG: Well, ice cream for dinner is great but sometimes we will also have breakfast for dinner (French toast is always a big hit). Think variety with nutrition and it will keep everyone interested!

Check back on lilsugar each morning this week for some of Kate's delilicious kid-friendly sandwich recipes!

Turn Your Child's Art or Photo Memories Into a Bound Book

babysugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:00:45 -0700

It's only natural for parents to think every scribble or brush stroke their child creates is a masterpiece, but if you are anything like me that means you have stacks of masterpieces you don't know how to archive for safekeeping. A company called inkubook can help you create a classic bound book of art and photo memories that will give all those creations a worthy home. All you have to do is scan the pages, save them as a jpg, png, or gif file and upload them to the inkubook website.

Prices start at $14 for a 20-page softcover book and $25 for a hardcover, but playing around with the book design on the site is free. It also offers a great volume pricing option, which is perfect if you want to make books to give as gifts for the holidays!

View 5 Photos ›

Celebaby Style: Kingston Rossdale

babysugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:00:40 -0700

Handsome lil Kingston and his Sugardaddy Gavin Rossdale were out and about in their urban gear over Labor Day weekend. The two studs sported similar looks in gray and red tees, green sneakers and off-beat bottoms.

While papa proudly wore the U.S. Marines logo across his chest, wee Kingston rocked a Playground Kings t-shirt. Suited for a musician's offspring, the tee depicts a rock band jamming next to a play structure with scribbled tour dates in black. The back reads, "Up all night Tour with Special Guest Jungle Jim." Tots may fantasize about that event, but I'm pretty sure Kingston could make it a reality with a snap of his fingers. I mean there has to be some advantage to being heir to No Doubt and Bush royalty, right?

Kingsley Playground Kings Tee in Light Grey ($35)

Diesel Kids Pighel Shorts ($60)

L.A.M.B. Shoes ($60)

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