LilSugar

Texts and Tunes: Winnie the Pooh Returns After 80 Years

LilSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:30:47 -0700

Talk about a hiatus! Eighty years after Christopher Robin bid his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood adieu, Pooh, Tigger and Piglet are back in the first book approved by the Trustees of the Pooh Properties. Return to the Hundred Acre Wood picks up where A.A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner left off, with a slightly older Christopher cavorting around the forest with his toys. The book, which includes artwork reminiscent of the original series, also features the introduction of a new character, Lottie the otter, who according to the book's publishers is "smart and elegant," "always dressed in pearls," and "has her own ideas about how things should be done and believes that everyone should follow the correct etiquette." While traditionalists may argue the need for injecting the series with only its second ever female character, mamas who read the stories to their lil girls will appreciate her presence in the tale.

If you've got a Pooh fan on your hands, check out some of our favorite Winnie the Pooh-inspired gear before picking up the new book.

Sugarbaby: Winnie the Pooh!

babysugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:00:50 -0800

Today is Winnie the Pooh Day so the lovable animated bear is our Sugarbaby.

While Pooh Bear hasn't aged a bit since we met him, he is officially 82-years-old having first been sketched in A. A. Milne's book in 1926. Maybe that's why he has always seemed so wise.

Friends constantly look to him for help and Pooh's always willing to lend a hand asking only for a good dose of honey in return. Honey happens to be his food of choice.

According to his website, his favorite phrase is "Do you have any honey?" Pooh's best friends are Christopher Robin, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Roo, Rabbit, Kanga, and more recently Lumpy.

In April 2006, this Sugarbear, I mean Sugarbaby, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's come a long way from pawning honey off the Funny Hunny Tree!

Source

Mommy's Lil Helper: Table Topper Placemats

babysugar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:00:56 -0800

Taking your babe out to dinner can be stressful with people staring, highchairs in short supply and the possiblilty of temper tantrums. One way to make it easier is to bring along your own disposable placemats made by Neat Solutions ($9).

The placemats have two adhesive strips that you stick down on the table to keep it in position. You can choose from Winnie the Pooh, Dora the Explorer or good old Sesame Street. While you protect your child from the germs on restaurant tables, the designs and characters will keep your baby occupied and entertained. When baby is finished eating, all you have to do is wrap it up and throw it away.

if you're lucky, you'll get a bite to eat too.

LeapFrog's Zippity Brings Full-Body Gaming to Preschoolers

LilSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:00:11 -0700

Dance Dance Revolution sparked a worldwide rhythm and dance craze when it launched in Japan a decade ago. Since then, game console manufacturers like Nintendo and Sony have created dozens of videos merging exercise and gaming for adults and teens alike. With the Zippity Learning System ($80), LeapFrog delivers the concept to the preschool set.

The TV-based gaming system brings some of The Disney Channel's most popular characters – like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Winnie the Pooh and Handy Manny – to combine upper- and lower-body movements with educational concepts.

To see what we liked about the Zippity system and what left us wondering, read more.

The Zippity system allows kids to choose from eight games that either use an interactive mat for lower-body movement or a waist-high joystick for upper-body activity. The games, such as a Mickey Mouse version of Simon Says and a Handy Manny version of song creation, encourage number, shape, directional and color recognition. While some of the games are more movement-oriented than others, they all do encourage the participant to be active. The great graphics and variety of games are perhaps the best features of the system, as lil ones can work on several different skills throughout their play. Each game has two levels of play, meaning the system is designed to grow with them – but we found that a 3-year-old was already well-advanced for the first level of most of the included games, leaving us wondering just how long he would be able to play with a set geared toward 3-6-year-olds.

L Is For Loving Lines

babysugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:00:13 -0700

If Winnie the Pooh isn't for you, perhaps stripes will do. Lighten up a baby's room with a load of lines for simple and modern appeal. Paint vertical bands on the walls and accent the bedding with thin stripes. Pick a few bright colored frames to sass up shelf space and keep eyes moving in opposite directions by purchasing a lampshade with horizontal lines. Artistically challenged moms can take pride in painting a few striped canvases to make the walls pop. And if mom must have a touch of babe, she can always toss a Cat in the Hat or a Goodnight Moon bunny on the bookcase for good measure.

Check back to see what we have on our plate for M as the alphabet nursery theme continues!

Brighton Stripe Rug - $129.00	Light Years Floor Lamp - $29.00
Wallcandy Pink Stripes Wall Decals - $44.00	Thank You Baby Kathy Ireland Madison Girl Gathered Drapes - $59.99
Pink Stripe Hook Rack - $26.00	Trend Lab Tulip Stripe Crib Sheet - $19.99
Glenna Jean Just Buggy Pillow - Stripe - $31.99	Sleepyhead Bunny Rattle Beige - $16.00
Stacked Stripe Rug - $160.00	Rugby Stripe Shade Aiden Lamp Base - $19.99
Bugs and Stripes Wall Hanging - $162.00	Tailored Striped Rug - $129.00
WallCandy Arts Stripes - $46.00	Webbing Belt Shade Aiden Lamp Base - $30.00
Cat in the Hat Plush Toy - $25.00	Wallcandy Blue Stripes Wall Decals - $44.00
Blue Stripe Memoboard - $110.00	Daisy Stripe Frame - $42.00
Squiggle Stripe Curtain Panels - $29.00	Cabana Stripe Rug Pink - $229.00
Boys' Brady Stripe Hardware - $40.00	Surf Stripe Rug - $129.00
Kasey Striped Nursery Bedding - $22.00	Sailor Stripe Table Shade Aiden Base - $35.00
Glenna Jean Just Buggy Rug - Pink Stripe Hooked Wool - $76.99	Merida Meridian Originals Baja Palmetto Modern Rug - $609.00
Striped Photo Frames - $46.00	Bacati Girls Stripes and Plaids Rug - $34.99
Our Family Frame - $36.00	Brown Stripe Growth Chart - $48.00
Large Wall Frame Blue - $69.00	Beach II Framed Artwork - $149.99
Park Stripe Rug - $129.00	Large striped picture frame - $19.50
Trend Lab Frame Set of Two - White/Blue Stripe - $24.99	SugarBooger Aden Stripe Mini Hamper - $29.99
Black and Bone Round Frame - $12.99	New Arrivals Blue Stripe Picture Frame - $32.99
LittleMissMatched SKETCHoRAMA Nightstand - $199.99

Lil Find: An Un-Diaper Bag

LilSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:01:44 -0700

The purchase of a diaper bag is a truly personal decision that expectant mamas spend plenty of time agonizing over. While some fit everything but the kitchen sink, others have only enough space for the essentials. We've seen everything from flower and Winnie-the-Pooh laden designs to designer-logo ones that look just like our every day handbags. No matter what your style, finding one that both mom and dad are willing to carry that serve all of our needs is not easy.

The S. Stein Baby Case may just fit the bill. Made from sturdy canvas with either leather or suede pockets, the bags are designed to be opened and used, rather than rifled through in search of a lil one's pacifier. The snap-out waterproof lining has pockets for bottles, diapers and a change of clothes, while a separate area is specifically designed to hold a cell phone and wallet, making them easily accessible on the go. Designer Sherry Stein, who has worked at both Nike and The Gap, created the bag by piling what she considered to be essential diaper bag contents in one place and then creating a bag that would fit them all. Such a basic concept, yet brilliantly executed. Unfortunately, this ideal bag will set a mama back more than a few bucks at $395, but hopefully other designers will take notice and create similar ones on a more budget-friendly scale.

Are Classic Fairy Tales a Thing of the Past?

LilSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Are the fairy tales we grew up with (not to mention our parents and grandparents) too scary and politically incorrect for our children? According to a nationwide survey in Great Britain, The Baby Website found that one in four moms forgo classics such as Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood over The Very Hungry Caterpillar or The Gruffalo.

Traditional fairy tales were first popularized in the early 1800s with the publishing of The Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1812 and Hans Christian Andersen's Complete Fairy Tales and Stories in 1835. The stories have been told to generations of children through various waves of social reforms, but today's parents deem the classics to be too scary (Hansel and Gretel are abandoned in a forest) or not PC (the dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). The survey revealed that parents feared that this text would give their tots nightmares, with 65 percent saying they purposely choose happy stories for bedtime reading.

Tell us, have you abandoned traditional fairy tales for more modern storytelling? To see the survey's top 10 bedtime storybooks, as well as the classics we are neglecting, read more.

TOP BEDTIME STORIES OF 2008 according to The Baby Website

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
Mr Men, Roger Hargreaves
The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson
Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
Aliens Love Underpants, Claire Freedman & Ben Cort
Thomas and Friends from The Railway Series, Rev.W.Awdry
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
What a Noisy Pinky Ponk!, Andrew Davenport
Charlie and Lola, Lauren Child
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Robert Southey

TOP 10 FAIRY TALES WE NO LONGER READ according to The Baby Website

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Hansel and Gretel
Cinderella
Little Red Riding Hood
The Gingerbread Man
Jack and the Beanstalk
Sleeping Beauty
Beauty and the Beast
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
The Emperor’s New Clothes

Source

Who Will Pop Next?

babysugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:00:04 -0800

Lil Sasha, also known as Alexander Schreiber, is so stinkin' adorable that we just can't wait to meet his wee sibling. Always the picture of perfection during her pregnancy, Naomi Watts wears her bump beautifully. Another celebmama awaiting her baby's birth is Ashlee Simpson. Just last weekend, the songstress was celebrated with a Winnie the Pooh baby shower. Which pretty lady do you think is going to deliver first?

Source and Flynet

Simple or Swank: Changing Tables

babysugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:00:33 -0700

If heirloom furniture, quilted bedspreads and Winnie the Pooh aren't your cup of tea, these sleek and modern changing tables might be more fitting of your decorative taste.
Simple: Dwell for Target crafts a chocolate brown and white option with three drawers and a changing table area on top for only $279.
Swank: The Nurseryworks Two-Wide Changing Table from Giggle has three pull drawers with a circle decor side cabinet for extra storage. On top, there is room for a changing pad and two extra crannies for lotions, diapers or what have you. The "bubbly" swank version will cost you a whopping $1200!

Which one do you prefer?