LilSugar

Bedrest Bash: Edible Invitations

LilSugar — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:00:38 -0700

Past letting people know about an upcoming party, most invitations end up in the trash. So when you're planning the bedrest bash, why not choose something guests will enjoy making disappear. To check out this alternative invitation, read more.

Edible chocolate bar invites by CustomCandyBarWrapper.com ($1-2) will set the mood for a laid back affair for the mama-to-be and double as a sweet treat. Available in numerous patterns, there's one for every occasion.

ECOWEEN: EnviroKidz Organic Crispy Rice Bars

LilSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:00:59 -0700

If you're a mom that's not too keen on candy, switch it out with EnviroKidz Organic Crispy Rice Bars on Ecoween. These low-fat, low-sodium 1-oz. bars are made from organic brown rice flower and available in Cheetah Berry, Koala Chocolate and Panda Peanut Butter varieties. A box of six costs $3 and one percent of all EnviroKidz sales are donated annually to endangered species, habitat conservation, and environmental education for kids.

Early Pregnancy Weight Gain Tied to Gestational Diabetes

babysugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:30:06 -0800

Step away from the donuts and don't even think about picking up that candy bar. In a new study to be released in next month's Obstetrics & Gynecology, researchers have found a direct link between weight gained in the first trimester of pregnancy and gestational diabetes diagnoses. Gestational diabetes, which can be controlled through diet changes, affects seven percent of pregnancies each year.

In their three-year study of 1,145 Northern California women, researchers found that those who gained more than the recommended 1.1 - 4.4 pounds in their first trimester of pregnancy increased their gestational diabetes risk by about 50 percent. Women who were already overweight and then gained most of their weight in the front end of their pregnancies were twice as likely to develop the complication. The study also found that black, Hispanic and Asian women are at greater risk to develop gestational diabetes than white women who gain excessive early weight.

The Last Time I Really Enjoyed a Candy Bar I Was Seven

LilSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:00:53 -0800

Ignorance is bliss when it comes to some childhood habits like eating junk food. A chocolate bar tastes ten times better when you don't know how many calories it has or care. Kids pick their favorite flavor of ice cream based on the color or amount of bubble gum chunks it contains. As adults we worry about food dye, processing, trans-fats, sugar, sodium and whatever other substance is headlined in the articles we devour and then decide to limit from our lil ones.

A recent New York Times article explored food worries and potential eating issues in today's children. While an 8-year-old stresses about sodium increasing his heart rate - his mother was proud of his nutritional awareness. The report said:

While scarcely any expert would criticize parents for paying attention to children’s diets, many doctors, dietitians and eating disorder specialists worry that some parents are becoming overzealous, even obsessive, in efforts to engender good eating habits in children. With the best of intentions, these parents may be creating an unhealthy aura around food.

I primarily feed my tots an organic and non-processed diet, but every blue moon - I let them have cake for breakfast. How do you balance this with your kids?

Source

Keep Those Wee Teeth Healthy This Halloween

babysugar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:00:03 -0700

Sure kids adore the costume aspect of Halloween but the number one reason why wee ones look forward to the ghoulish holiday? The hunt for candy. Chocolate bars, candy corn, and bags of Skittles can make a youngster hopelessly in love with sugar but leave their pearly whites in pain. Thanks to Dr. Sherri Worth, a dentist to the stars and mother of three, we have some helpful tips to offer parents on how to protect those tiny chompers and combat cavities.

Rinse and Repeat: So simple…RINSE right after the candy fest. Toss the kids some water bottles and have them drink up while watching that scary movie before bed. Getting the initial sugar rinsed out before the candy has time to settle on to the surface of the tooth is key.
Do It For Them: I always brush and floss my kids’ teeth the night before Halloween. I tell them that there are so many “sugar bugs” on Halloween that I need to get them out.

To see the rest of her pointers, just read more.

Tool Time: Buy them a new toothbrush and let them use it the first time on Halloween night. They will spend more time on their teeth because it is new and special.
Keep It in the Kitchen: No candy after the teeth are brushed at night – we all know they love to keep their candy with them (taking it to bed) – keep it in the kitchen.
Fill ‘Em Up!: Have a good healthy dinner before trick-or-treating, so that they will not have a dinner of candy.

Do you have any tips to share for keeping young teeth healthy? Share them in The Mommy Club over in our LilSugar Community! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Wee Ones Get the Glittered Glove For Halloween

babysugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:00:41 -0700

If you wanna be startin' somethin' this Halloween, try dressing baby up like Michael Jackson! Kids will get a kick out of the glittered glove, flashy socks and the buckle beveled jacket. Add some flair to the look with a curly 80's wig for a complete "Thriller" look. When they get a piece of candy, they can holler, "Shamone" and if mama can teach them to moonwalk, the big candy bars are sure to find their way into the cavernous pumpkins.

What do you think of the look? Is it a "Thriller" or should the costume "Beat It"?

Mommy Dearest: Scolded by Fellow Mom For Kid's Breakfast

LilSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Mommy Dearest:
My son and I were running late and rather than have him be tardy for preschool, I gave him an organic yogurt smoothie and children's breakfast bar to eat en route. As we walked to school, a fellow mom joined us for the last few blocks. When I told her we were having a crazy morning and had resorted to a quick meal, she scolded me saying that granola bars should be treated as snacks rather than meals and said they were the equivalent to candy bars. Dumbfounded by her mini-tirade, I shuttled my son to class without responding. Is it so bad to give a yogurt smoothie and granola bar for breakfast?
– Meal-on-the-Go Mom

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.

Meal-on-the-Go Mom,

You had a harried morning and gave your son the quickest, healthy breakfast you had. Not every family has time to sit down for a full meal in the morning even if they plan on it. Most moms can relate to your situation- it's not as if you handed your lil guy a candy bar to nosh on, but even if you did, it's your business and that meddling mama should have just kept her opinion to herself. - Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on TeamSugar.

The Taboo of Feeding Kids Junk Food

LilSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:00:50 -0700

In the '70s and '80s, Spaghetti-Os, Twinkies, cheese in a can, and sugared cereals were tossed into many shopping carts due to convenience. But now, many of the mamas who grew up sipping soda are leading the no-juice campaign.

Women who might have licked cheddar powder off their Cheetos-stained fingers in their youth now choose more nutritious foods for their offspring. When the playground picnic table is piled high with a potluck of sandwiches on whole grain bread, fresh fruit, yogurt, and homemade baked goods, is there a stigma attached to the parent who ponies up a box of Krispy Kremes? A collective eye roll is what one doughnut-bearing mother I know received. I've since heard of moms sneaking their children sips of Sprite in restaurants and nibbles of candy bars behind closed doors to avoid being ostracized.

For the Hollywood celebmamas who don't hide their lil one's junk food indulgences from the paparazzi – think the Jolie-Pitt clan carrying chip bags in New Orleans and the rumor about the Spears-Federline boys drinking Coca-Cola in their bottles – headlines about poor eating accompanied the photos. Does a picture of a child eating from a shiny snack bag really mean that they've never downed a well-balanced meal, or has the movement toward healthy eating gotten a bit ridiculous? What's your opinion?

Bauer-Griffin

Sip and See Baby Shower: Favors

LilSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:00:03 -0700

We’re continuing to celebrate mamas-to-be this month with our extensive baby shower planning guides. This week, we fete the mama and newborn who were not ready to be the centers of attention before the birth with a sip and see shower.

Nothing is sweeter than a family celebrating their new addition, so, inspired by the beautiful dessert tables created by Amy Atlas Events, I created a candy bar filled with tasty treats in the same orange and blue color scheme as our invitations. I sought out gummy bears, licorice sticks, orange slices and more to help carry our color theme through to the very end of the soiree. To further tie the favors to our "sip and see" theme, we placed empty sippy cups on the table and offered guests the opportunity to fill them with their favorite sweets on their exit. We included a little tag on each cup, thanking the guests for attending the event.

View 3 Photos ›

To download these exclusive favor tags, read more.

Our stork favor tags, which tie in with our invitations and game, can be downloaded for free here, or below.

Don't forget to enter our fabulous April Showers Giveaway for a chance to win a $2,500 gift card to put toward your babe's nursery and/or necessities for your child at Pottery Barn Kids!

Mural Meal: Prehistoric Dino Dinner

babysugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:00:00 -0700

The only food I sometimes have trouble getting my daughter to eat is meat. But, she'll always go for chicken nuggets. Barring fast food from her diet, I discovered a seemingly good option in the frozen section aisle of my grocery store. The Yummy Dino Buddies are all white meat nuggets with Omega 3 value. Better yet, I knew I could create another masterpiece with the prehistoric figures.

To see what I used for this mural meal, read more.

Ingredients:

Four dinosaur nuggets
Black beans
Zucchini
Honey
Marshmallows
Optional: Whoppers and ketchup

Cooking the food:

Drain the can of black beans and rinse.
Slice zucchinis in long strips and cut in half. Saute with a pat of butter and garlic salt.
Bake dinosaur nuggets for 12 minutes at 425.

Placing the goodies on the plate:

First lay out the beans on the plate.
Next, create some sort of vegetation with the zucchini; a tree, bushes or what have you.
Place the dinosaurs a top the beans.
Use the honey to make a sun in the corner. Kids love dipping nuggets in honey. If you prefer, substitute ketchup.
For the treat, use marshmallows to make clouds in the sky.

I have a few candied eggs left over from Easter so I placed on the plate as an added bonus. It gave me the opportunity to teach her a lesson about dinosaur eggs over dinner.

View 8 Photos ›