LilSugar

Holiday Photo Style: Cards

LilSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:00:23 -0800

Before you ship your kids' letters to Santa, make sure to get your holiday cards to the post office! If you're exhausted by the thought of spending hours surfing the web to find a fitting card for your family, don't fret. We've done the hard work for you! Here's a selection of our favorite cards of the season.

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Lil Find: Personalize Your Stationery

babysugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:37:16 -0800

One of the things that always stalls me in writing thank you notes is having the appropriate stationery. I used to keep a stash of monogrammed notes, but since baby came along, I find myself running out to buy kiddie notes.

Now I have a great solution for both of us. Papyrus sells stamps that you can customize with your initial so you can buy one for baby and another for yourself. I get plain note cards from Paper Source and then stamp them with the appropriate letter and write the note from there. That way I don't have to keep a separate pile of notes for each family member. And, to save yourself from having to write your return address each time, order an especially cute return stamp from them, too.

Lil Find: Practice Makes Perfect

babysugar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:00:56 -0700

Learning to write your name is one of the highlights of a youngster's early years. If your lil one is learning how to shape the letters of his or her name, the connect the dots stamp created by the Little Stamp Company ($20) is a helpful tool to get the moniker on the paper. The custom-made stamps encourage children to practice printing their names by tracing over the dots. A little practice with this find may help move your tot straight to the head of the class.

Fresh Valentine Cards From Minted.com

babysugar — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:00:30 -0800

Holiday cards never made it to the post office? Forget the snowflake stamps and send out a good dose of hugs and kisses instead. The folks over at Minted.com have been hosting a contest where graphic designers have submitted their heartfelt artwork for a Valentine's Day card prize. I have been guest judging and boy can I tell you, it was tough to pick my 10 favorite cards, let alone one! It's the perfect way to announce a new baby, send family greetings, or just tell someone you care about them.

Out of the lovely pack, which card do you fancy most?

Paperless Post Gets Holiday Parties Started

babysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:29 -0800

This holiday season, go green, go cheap, and go beautiful! Instead of sending out a tree's worth of paper invitations for your holiday soiree, consider using creative and gorgeous online invitations. While e-vitations have been around a while, few are as sassy, simple, pretty, and well-organized as the custom stationery from the Paperless Post.

A cinch to figure out, and party queens can choose between traditional, contemporary, modern, and casual templates and add the perfect touch with an embossed design, colorful trims, a grosgrain ribbon, or even their own photos. New members get 25 free virtual stamps (good for 25 email addresses) when they sign up and pay an additional fee when they want to send out their notice to more guests. If a hostess wants to blast the invitation out to 100 people, she would only pay the $8 fee for 100 e-stamps as opposed to a $44 bill at the post office. For an extra $5, mama can make the envelope fancy and add a liner. In the end, an $8 stamp fee and $5 envelope liner are peanuts compared to the snail mail option, and she never has to wait in that dreaded line! The bonus is it makes managing the party details as easy as one, two, three. Mommy can tell who has opened the invite, replied to it, and made comments on it.

So the next time mum's throwing a bash - holiday or otherwise - she should consider Paperless Post. The guests will be impressed by her fabulous and savvy eco-friendly ways, and it will give her the opportunity to spend the money on wine and music, 'cause that's what will make her party legendary.

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Lil Links: The Batemans Go Ga Ga For Yo Gabba Gabba

babysugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:00:16 -0800

The Batemans go ga ga at Yo Gabba Gabba - Celebrity Baby Blog
Pamela Anderson tells her boys about the infamous sex tape - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Uterine tea gets mamas ready for labor - CafeMom
Decode your baby's name for a charge - ParentDish
Dad spoke to son in Klingon only for first three years - MomLogic
Zoom in on the germ spots in the house - Parenting
More moms spank than you might think - The Mommy Files
The new clean plate club - Mamaista
Custom rubber stamps - Cool Mom Picks

Posing the Toesies: Turning Baby Footprints Into Keepsakes

LilSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 05:00:36 -0700

Who can resist a pair of sweet baby feet? While some parents opt to frame the footprints taken by the hospital staff for security and identification purposes, others look for more artistic options. Artisans have made it easy for moms and dads to create a permanent keepsake with jewelry, birth announcements or framed prints. For mums looking to create the traditional artwork on decorative paper, baby-safe ink pads make the process neat, clean and more simple to work with than a traditional stamp pad. Check out some of the other cute options.

Tag It and Keep Track of Your Kiddo's Things

LilSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:00:07 -0700

Whether you tag your lil one's items by choice or to meet day and overnight camp requirements, most mamas don't have the time to stitch the tickets through all of their children's goods. From traditional sewn-in labels to ink stamps and permanent markers, we've rounded up several shortcuts for completing the chore.

A self-inking stamper like the Deluxe Marking Kit ($35) gets tots in on the action. With permanent ink and interchangeable stamps, the kit can be used for several camp seasons.
Iron-on labels make adhering a cinch. Available in a variety of designs, classic name labels ($6 for 60) are mommy's lil helper.
For those who label at the last minute, the Sharpie Laundry Pen ($1) is the permanent scribbler of choice available in a variety of widths.
Mums looking for a sticky fix will get stuck on Stikins Clothing Labels ($25 for 60), which can handle a toss in the washer and dryer.
Those handy with a label maker can type the camper's name into the gadget and spit out Fabric Iron-On Tape labels ($24).

Non Voyage: A Capital Celebration Where You Need DC to Be

LilSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:00:16 -0700

If the new administration has your family dreaming of our nation's historic roots, a trip to Washington DC is sure to inspire the next generation of public servants. We continue our week of big-city non voyages in the nation's capital with activities and food that will help families recreate the DC experience without breaking their wallets.

The National Mall is lined with some of the best museums in the world, and one of the most popular is the National Air and Space Museum. Teach your budding astronauts about the history of manned space flight and then have them create their own rocket ship that will transport them to the moon. Rockets can be built out of blocks, cardboard or with any scraps you have lying around.
The International Spy Museum is one of the most unique places to visit in DC, where children and adults alike can learn about the CIA and FBI's covert operations and the techniques used to keep the nation from harm. Recreate the experience with a backyard scavenger hunt where lil ones can search for hidden treasures and practice their detective skills. Don't forget the trench coats and magnifying glasses to make them feel official.
Even in the age of email, everybody still loves to get mail and the National Postal Museum shows kids how their letters get delivered. Visit your local post office and have the kids pick out their own stamps and mail letters to their family and friends. See if the postal workers will allow your tots to view the sorting machines in the back too.
It's hard to imagine what life was like before cars, computers and modern conveniences, but Mount Vernon, George and Martha Washington's home, does just that. Give your children the colonial experience by turning off the phone and computer for an afternoon of retro cooking with recipes from the birth of our nation, including johnny cakes, shepherd's pie and apple butter.
Washington DC brings Southern hospitality and Northern sophistication to the Mid Atlantic and the city's food reflects those cultures. President Obama has already visited the famed eatery, Ben's Chili Bowl, where the deliciousness is used to smother hot dogs, sausages and burgers, so make some of those goodies at home. The Obamas are also ushering in a new era in organic cooking at the White House so take your youngsters to the local green market or farm and let them choose the ingredients they would like to nosh on that night.

Sheryl Crow Rocks, Rolls and Is Raising a Lil Humanitarian

babysugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:00:18 -0700

For all the fame and fortune that has come her way, mama Sheryl Crow seems to keep a modest head on her very sculpted shoulders. Mother to adorable two-year-old Wyatt, the talented crooner has overcome quite a few obstacles in the public eye while maintaining a genuine smile and staying true to herself. On her biggest parenting task, she said:

I know I have a responsibility... As a mom, the biggest thrill for me, but most humbling role is raising my kid as a humanitarian. I want him to grow up feeling he can do something for people less fortunate.

By attending events like "Stamp Out Violence" and publicly speaking out on breast cancer, the philanthropic rock star is practicing what she preaches. By the time he enters school, lil Wyatt may be singing, "All I wanna do is volunteer."

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