LilSugar

Amy Poehler Is Throwing a Party For Smart Girls

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:00:56 PST

Funny woman and new mommy, Amy Poehler is throwing a party and only smart girls are invited. Her web series, Smart Girls at the Party, celebrates confident young ladies who "change the world by being themselves." The first webisode focused on Cameron King, an articulate and imaginative 10-year-old writer. New pieces will air each Monday so celebrate the birth of something awesome by tuning in with your daughter.

The Five Best Races For Women

espnW — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:09:19 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea

Sage Steele, SportsCenter anchor, is preparing to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World on Feb. 26 and hoping to fall in love with running in the process. Follow Sage’s journey on espnW.com

Women's races offer a decidedly different vibe than their coed cousins': more camaraderie, a sole sister atmosphere that welcomes all runners and walkers, and lots more running skirts. Here are five of the top women's races and series in the country. Sign up then train like Sage.

Disney Tinker Bell and Princess half marathons
Sage picked a winner. Let your inner child run free through the Magic Kingdom at these festival race weekends. Tinker Bell is in Disneyland, while Princess is in Disney World, but both allow thousands of runners to mix and mingle with Disney characters on courses that wind through each park. Racers put almost as much effort into costumes - Snow White, Belle, or Minnie, anyone? - as training. Bonus: your kids will be especially psyched to cheer you on.

Sage Steele gets some training advice from Disney runMom Lori Lovell

Nike Women's Marathon
Yeah, it's tough to snag an entry, but if you can, this race is so worth it. (Psst: Go through Team in Training.) This 26.2-mile race, and its half-marathon companion, traverses San Francisco with sweeping vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge and Pacific Ocean to take your mind off the killer hills in the first 10 miles of the race. Tuxedo-clad firefighters bestow each finisher with a Tiffany & Co. pendant.

Run fast by fueling up smart

Three more great races after the break.

Fab's Top 10 Celebrity Looks of the Week - Rooney, Emmy, Emily, and More!

Hannah Weil — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:31:43 PST

Celebrity glamour ushered in the New Year - at premieres, parties, and appearances, we spotted our style favorites lighting up the red carpet (and their city stomping grounds). We've had our eye on rising star Rooney Mara, who lived up to her fashion-darling status at The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's European premiere dates. Emily Blunt kicked off the Palm Springs Film Festival in a femme frock, and Emmy Rossum delighted at Shameless's season two premiere in a silvery Ralph Lauren. Inside, we've culled more of this week's standouts; from Lauren Conrad's covetable street style to Amy Smart's smart leather-on-leather look, click through to see the rest of this week's top 10.

Christian Louboutin Whisks "Very Smart" and "Natural Beauty" Blake Lively Off Her Feet

Allie Merriam — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 08:14:55 PDT

Blake Lively wore Dolce & Gabbana last night for a bash in honor of her good friend Christian Louboutin at Barneys in NYC. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, along with Blake, models Elettra Wiedemann, Iman, and more hosted the event for the legendary shoe designer in honor of the launch of his book Christian Louboutin and the 20th anniversary of his brand.

Blake, who's well known for once buying 40 pairs of Christian shoes during a sample sale, clearly is on great terms with the man, since he literally whisked her off her feet after the event. Christian was happy to gush about Blake when we caught up with him at the party. Christian said of Blake, "Not only is she beautiful, she is very talented and she's very smart. One of the things that is most important for women and men, at least for me, is intelligence. Through a lot of things, she has proved that she is really intelligent. and she also has this natural beauty and this natural way of moving, which makes her absolutely a great image."

The main guy in Blake's personal life these days is really Ryan Reynolds, who's been in Boston shooting R.I.P.D. with Jeff Bridges. Between his big screen filming schedule and her work in the Big Apple on Gossip Girl, they've been making it work with plenty of Amtrak rides between the two northeast cities.

Away We Go: How to Travel (Better) With Friends

LearnVest — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:15:33 PDT

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

You love your friends, imperfections and all, so the only thing better than a trip to Ibiza might be a trip to Ibiza … with them. After all, group travel affords you freedom to do the activities you want, with zero worries about loneliness: Someone will always be game to ski that double black diamond run or dance the night away at that tiki club.

But while traveling with a group can be fun, it can also be fraught. The little differences that might seem small at first-like extra-long showers or reckless spontaneity-can get blown out of proportion after a few days of being together 24/7. Remember that time you tried to split the hotel bill to account for your BFF’s room service? (“But you totally ate some of my calamari!” “Not $20 worth!”) What a headache.

But you can leave the Advil at home, ladies. With our tips on organizing a successful and stress-free group getaway, you’ll come home with both your friendships and your budget intact.

Know Thyself (And Your Friends)

No two friends travel alike, as one woman’s “high standards” can be another friend’s “being difficult.”

You might enjoy getting a manicure with your diva friend, but think twice about inviting her camping. Likewise, if you don’t enjoy drinking, be wary about inviting the party girl on your getaway. Small differences can blow up when deciding how to spend a whole week together.

So, think strategically when planning your trip: Suggest a weekend in Vegas with your diva girlfriend, plan a camping trip with your high school buddies and save up vacation days for that European getaway with your bilingual best friend.

Read on for more travel tips.

The US Credit Rating Downgrade: What It Means For You

LearnVest — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:15:35 PDT

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

You’ve probably heard the news already-our country’s credit rating just took a dive.

On Friday evening, Standard & Poor’s, one of the world’s three major credit rating agencies, dealt a major blow to the United States’ financial psyche by announcing that it has downgraded the country’s credit rating from AAA to AA+. This marks the first time in history that the U.S. has lost its top-ranked credit rating from one of the major agencies.

The U.S. moves from the company of other AAA countries like Australia, Canada, France, Singapore and Germany to the company of the two AA+ countries, Belgium and New Zealand. The world is reeling with varied reactions to this news, as analysts try to predict what this will mean for the domestic and global economies. Is this media hype or true disaster? Can we fix the situation and earn our AAA score back? And what does this mean for the average American?

We cut through the noise to bring you the cheat sheet on the credit rating downgrade, the various viewpoints on the downgrade itself, its potential effects-and what it means for you.

What Happened-In a Snapshot

As we reported in our story last week summarizing the debt ceiling deal, governments receive credit rating scores that investors use to analyze credit-worthiness. These credit scores are determined by three major international credit reporting agencies: Moody’s, Fitch and Standard & Poor’s.

After the debt ceiling deal was struck, Moody’s and Fitch maintained their AAA scores for the U.S. (although Moody’s downgraded the U.S. credit outlook to “negative”). S&P, on the other hand, decided on Friday to downgrade the U.S.’s credit rating to AA+. For the first time in history, America lost its unanimous AAA rating across all three agencies. On a side note, however, China’s leading credit agency Dagong Global Credit Rating Co. stripped America, Britain, Germany and France of their AAA ratings last July, accusing the top three agencies of Western bias, and giving greater weight to “wealth creating capacity.”

Read on to find out what it means for you.

Group Therapy: "Perfect" Boyfriend vs. Office Crush

Tres Community — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:05:09 PDT

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I'm in my mid-20s. I have been in a relationship now for over 4 years (never broken up). Good guy. No complaints. Just not sexually attracted to him anymore. And bored. I have a HUGE attraction on this guy from work. (And I've never had a guy catch my eye before my current bf, so this guy has something.) And I don't crush easy. I've only been with 2 men in my life and never "played the field," and I am very prudish.

I've known this guy for over a year, and I'm very sexually attracted (like I feel like I'm cheating, on how much I'm in lust with this guy). He's cute, funny, body like an ox, smart and likes to have fun (duh, he's single). He used to be fat (a plus), and I don't know what to do. He and I worked at one place together when we first met, and I had to QUIT bc it was affecting my relationship with my current bf. A few months passed, and I didn't see him for a while, just Facebook "hi"s and likes, then my friend from my old job hooked me up with this new job, and then I find out he works there too (sh*t).

My current boyfriend loves me with all his heart. But he's like a 75-year-old man. Very serious. Doesn't like to go out dance, party etc., and I feel drained by just pretending that I'm happy, but I'm not. I know! I know! That there are a bunch of girls out there who WANT what I have, but I'm a catch, too, I treat him very well. But my "needs" aren't met and the only one that can prob give me what I want is the guy from work (great sex, freedom, social life, etc.). Let it be known that the first guy I slept with I was with him for almost 5 years, so I've been off the market for a looong time. I just need some guidance/advice. I don't want to get married or have kids anytime soon, but I feel like I do. Thanks for your help.

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

Jessica Alba Talks Pregnancy, Travel Tips, and Her Summer Reads as She Plays Host For Rimowa

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:34:59 PDT

Jessica Alba glammed up with a mani-pedi yesterday afternoon as she prepped to host the opening of the Beverly Hills Rimowa store last night. The actress looked radiant in bold blue eyeliner and a look by Lanvin at the luxury luggage brand's party, which also drew the likes of Brad Goreski, Amy Smart, and True Blood star Joe Manganiello. We spoke with the soon-to-be mother of two, who told us she's been working to juggle pregnancy while caring for her toddler, Honor. The duo are back in LA following a girls' getaway to Cabo, where Jessica showed off her baby bump in a bikini and splashed in the water with her daughter. Jessica's career keeps her jet-setting for much of the year, so she also shared her expert travel tips and revealed the item she and Honor both require when they fly. Jessica said:

On how pregnancy is different the second time around: "I'm chill. I was freaked my first time going into labor. Like, what if I panic? What if I just freak out and I don't know what to do? It's a little bit harder on the body because my daughter still wants to be picked up. Ever since my belly popped, she really is on me!"
On why it's important to have a nice suitcase: "For me, a great luggage is like a great pair of shoes because I use my luggage so much. And I'm that girl that actually uses the lifetime warranty on my luggage because my zippers break all the time and I sit on my luggage. It never fails, no matter how big the luggage or how many pieces I have, I have to sit on my luggage to close it. It's nice to have something that's literally indestructible, and there's nothing like this brand . . . I also like that it's chic and it's understated, and it's like a mixture of masculine and feminine. You get that little bit of shine, but it's still quite sturdy."
On how traveling with kids changes things: "It's two suitcases you have to sit on to close!"
On her travel essentials: "Eye cream. I have a blanket that I travel with . . . it's so dorky! But I travel with it on the plane all the time, and Honor has one too, actually."
On her packing tips: "I use these bags inside my luggage that take out all the air, and keeps everything separate. And then when something gets dirty, on one side is clean and one side is dirty. It keeps everything compartmentalized and organized. And I pack in outfits. If I have three days and three nights, I literally have the entire outfit together, so I don't have to think."
On her favorite Summer read: "I just got a new one that I just started, that's a little depressing, called Room. But I just finished the Patti Smith book [Just Kids] and it was great."

Sugar Shout Out: Design Your Own Delicious Candy Buffet!

PopSugar — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 23:55:00 PDT

5 Leave-In Conditioners to Protect Lil Ones' Hair From Summer's Elements

LilSugar — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:35:13 PDT

A child's skin isn't the only thing that needs protecting during the Summer. Their hair needs protection too! The sun, chlorine, and salt water can have a drying, damaging effect on hair (and the scalp) that will last long after those pool parties and family trips to the beach. Protect and nourish your lil swimmer's locks with a leave-in conditioner that adds moisture while reducing fly aways that come out with Summer's humidity.

From left to right:

So Cozy Protective Conditioning Mist with Sunscreen ($14): A leave-in conditioner with sunscreen to protect hair and scalp from the harmful effects of the sun. This hair care product is specially formulated for children 1 to 12-years-old and has a cool coconut scent.
Original Sprout Leave-In Conditioner ($11): Made with natural and organic ingredients, it helps protect against sun and environmental damage. It also strengthens and improves hair structure with vegetable proteins and polymers.
Fairy Tales Coco Cabana Leave-In Sun Spray ($11): A rich conditioner in a spray pump to help keep hair conditioned and manageable. It's paraben free and contains coconut oil and jojoba.
California Baby Swimmer's Defense Hair Conditioner ($12): This conditioner contains a botanical blend of herbs, rich emollients, and natural sunscreens that combine to re-balance, repair, and rehydrate hair, leaving it soft and shiny.
Smart Girls Who Surf Care for Hair Leave-in Conditioner ($9): A leave-in conditioner and protein-infused detangler, specially formulated with vitamins and has SPF 7 sunscreen to protect the hair and scalp from the sun. It's paraben and oil free, and has a light kiwi scent.