LilSugar

A Sugar Shower to Send LilSugar Off in Style!

babysugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:00:55 -0700

Before LilSugar welcomes her third bebe, we decided to throw a fete in her honor. Not wanting to mess with pale pinks and blues, we went for brighter hues to celebrate the sweet mommy. Orange and green were the colors of choice, which proved to be a fan favorite amongst the baby shower revelers. Also a big hit? Rice Krispie Treats on a stick and Arnold Palmers for everyone!

To see how I made the diaper cake and to see the rest of the fun photos, read more.

Like previously assembled diaper cakes, I started out with a large base of folded disposable nappies and held it together with a large navy grosgrain ribbon. I did the same for the second layer and tied a green ribbon. For the top layer, I used a vase for the centerpiece instead of the more common candy-filled bottle. I encircled it with the remaining diapers and tied the orange bow around it. Not wanting to get water all over the diapers, I filled the container by ladling cups of water until it was three-quarters full. Then I cut a bunch of peachy roses short and popped them in the vase. With the layers and flowers complete, I placed faux orange and yellow flowers sporadically around the cake anchoring them under the ribbons. A fan of the bubbly, I placed a toy popping champagne bottle front and center. Surely the docs will allow her to open this champers in the maternity ward.

One of our ah-mazing teammates took the time to whip up 80 Rice Krispie Treats and wrapped them with coordinating streamers. We draped the room with crepe paper and handed out "Wishes For Baby" that every guest filled out and stuffed into the diaper cake for safe keeping. (You can download a similar version we created for free here!) Though it was a fabulous affair, it has us missing our LilSugar already!

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A Sugary Sweet Baby Shower For the Sugar Family

babysugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:00:20 -0700

Here at Sugar HQ, we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Baby Sugar #2. Lisa, the queen of all things Sugar, has developed a perfectly round bump and big sister Katie is ready for her lil sister's arrival. To honor the sweet family, we decided to use the obvious - confections galore.

For the centerpiece of the soiree, I provided the expectant parents a diaper cake chock full of delicious delights. Since we don't want to leave the sibling out of the celebration, I made a miniature version for her. To keep the guests from attacking the decor, we provided Kara's Cupcakes and sparkling apple cider.

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To see what the diaper cake is made of, read more.

Using Pampers Swaddlers, I formed the base of the cake. Around each layer, I tied a piece of twine and covered it with a pink gingham ribbon. Atop of that, I used a hot glue gun to apply Bubble Gum tape. To add a bit of color, I glued on Necco wafers to each layer. Since most everyone loves a Dum Dum, I placed one in every other diaper. For the cake topper, I took a bottle, filled it with Skittles and tied a bow on top. To keep it all stacked together, I created columns with bamboo skewers and then wrapped it up with pink tulle and a puffed out ribbon.

For the smaller sibling cake, I made one layer with the same diapers and tied a ribbon around it. Instead of hyping wee Katie up on candy, I used four fake flowers for the centerpiece and limited her faux pastry with one Dum Dum and a candy necklace. More than anything, it was a treat for us to watch her open her own gift.

If you want to place a bet on when the Sugar baby will arrive, click here!

Television Moms Who Made You Appreciate Your Own

LilSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:00:09 -0700

There are two types of television moms: the seemingly perfect ones like June Clever and Carol Brady and then the more interesting characters. In honor of Mother's Day, we're celebrating the women of the boob tube who made us appreciate our own mothers more - for one reason or another. Check out our picks and feel free to add your own!
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Interview With Lori Loughlin: 90210 Star Dishes on Meals

LilSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Sitting down for a family meal is a time honored tradition that still exists - even in Tinseltown! We recently chatted with Lori Loughlin, the actress best known for her role as Becky Donaldson on Full House and more recently, as Debbie Wilson on 90210, about her partnership with Barilla pasta.

Loughlin and Barilla are encouraging families to involve tots in mealtime planning and preparation through the use of their Piccolini line of miniature classic pasta shapes. The mother of two daughters - Isabella, 10, and Olivia Jade, 9, - has long been a proponent of the family meal. She said:

"Dinner is a really important meal in our household, it is a time that we make a real effort, my husband and I, to be home. We have dinner every night with our kids. My mom cooked every night, his mom cooked every night and now I cook every night for my family. We do eat a lot of pasta in our family. Their favorite shape pasta is penne - we do penne with vegetables, broccoli, diced chicken. We also do turkey meatballs and penne, we do traditional marinara and penne and Bolognese sauce and penne. My kids love the lasagna that I make."

On both Full House and 90210, the actress' characters have made the family dinner central to facilitating conversation about the children's activities.

"At the time when Full House was on, family dinner was more common in America. As your kids are getting older and have their own lives like the teenagers on 90210 - where and when do you have the time to reconnect with your kids? Well, it's over dinner.

To see what Loughlin had to say about how she handles body image issues with her daughters amid rumors of eating disorders in her 90210 costars, read more.

The waif-like stars of the 90210 cast have led to rumors about eating disorders on the set. To instill healthy body images in her two tween daughters, Loughlin focuses on health over diet.

"I say to my kids that you have to really think about what you put in your body because it's your fuel. I always take the approach of health, not weight. We want to start eating healthy now to take care of our heart and our internal organs so we can be strong, so our brains can develop.

One thing I will say that I disagree with in LA, or some of the diets that are [out there] is people cutting out carbs. I don't think you should cut out carbs. I think you need to have that in your system. You can't just be protein and just vegetables. It’s not good for you.

The Piccolini Smiles contest invites parents to send photos of their kids preparing, or eating, their pasta as part of a meal, to see all the details, and learn how to win $25,000 in tuition money, visit www.piccolinismiles.com.

Tell Mommy: Naming Traditions

LilSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:00:36 -0700

Selecting your lil one's moniker can take the entire nine months of your pregnancy. Finding a name you and your spouse like that isn't being used by your friends or relatives is enough to send many mamas-to-be over the edge.

For some families, the process is made a bit easier by tradition. From adding a third, fourth or fifth to a long line of namesakes to naming a child after a close friend or relative. In Jewish tradition, names are given to honor family members, traditionally deceased relatives. Recent generations have modified the custom by using the first letter of the relative's name for their baby, such as taking the "S" from Sadie and naming their daughter Sabrina. In doing so, the family can remember a loved one on a daily basis.

Does your family have any naming customs you plan to embrace?

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Sibling Shower: Gift Guide

LilSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:00:02 -0700

While a sibling shower's goal is to get the guest of honor used to the idea of being a big brother or sister so no gifts are required, but those wanting to bring a lil something should purchase a present for the child, not the mama-to-be. We've rounded up a few of our favorite things when it comes to getting tots excited about welcoming a wee one into the family! To check out the details on these options, read more.

Sibling Shirts: There are a ton of big brother, lil sister shirts on the market these days, but my new favorite is Babybot's collection. The modern tees ($18) are well made, to the point and then have a special lil comment (coolest) or (cutest) printed beneath the title.
Doll and Baby Carrier: Pottery Barn Kids offers plush Abby and Lucy dolls for even the smallest tots. A personalized carrier ($16) allows kids to take care of their babe the way mama and papa tend to the new family member.
Baby Bottle: Big siblings like to take on tasks like feeding their wee brother or sister so purchasing a bottle for just them to use makes them feel important.
Sophie the Giraffe: This sweet toy ($16) is the perfect one for a big sibling to use to entertain the new addition. It's easy for youngsters to hold and will keep both children entertained.

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!

Kiddie Soiree: Cookies on Sticks

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:00:34 -0700

What offers kiddos the crunch of a cookie and the fun of a lollipop? A fellow Sugar staffer was inspired by the website The Decorated Cookie and created what she promises is a simple party favor - sugar cookies on sticks. She says:

I am by no means an expert baker, but I'd seen this cookies on sticks phenomenon on a couple websites and realized they are the ideal bite-sized treat. The project took about two hours (I made about 50 cookies!), but the end result was a personalized, inexpensive and sweet party favor that elicited ohhhhsss and awwwwws from all the kids and parents at the party. I decorated the cookies with sprinkles, hearts and the letter "C" in honor of the birthday girl's name.

For recipe suggestions and tips, read more.

Don't be afraid to cheat a little. Instead of making the cookies from scratch, try a frozen pre-made cookie dough you just have to bake like Pillsbury's frozen Sugar cookies, which are sectioned into the perfect size for the sticks. Before you bake the cookies you skewer them with popsicle sticks (these can be found at a local craft or party store). The Decorated Cookie site has recipes for both the cookies and hard frosting. If you want to go natural, use natural food coloring from the health food store. The color of the cookies will be a bit pastel and muted (like the ones pictured here), but you can rest easy that there's no red dye.

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3 Ways to Celebrate Presidents' Day With Your Politikids

LilSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:00:00 -0800

Today is Presidents' Day and a prime opportunity to talk to your kids about our nation's history and why some schools, banks, and stores are closed to honor our forefathers. Most youngsters don't need detailed political rants or your take on what George Washington would have said about the credit crisis; here are some politically correct ideas for broaching the subject of former White House residents with your children.

Read a Political Book: The What Presidents Are Made of book ($13) is a good starter for young children interested in history. It focuses on 17 US presidents and includes antidotes that show the human side of our former presidents. For example, George Washington is "made of good deeds." Here are some other reading suggestions for teaching tots about the presidential process.
Make a Patriotic Treat: Celebrate democracy with your lil darlings by making red, white, and blue snacks like an American Flag Cake, Fruit Kabobs or Obama cupcakes.
Dress Up in Your Political Gear: If you purchased or were given political apparel for your child during 2008's campaign, bring it out of the closet today so your tots can show their colors.

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Sugardaddy: Bruce Springsteen

LilSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:00:08 -0800

Who didn't dream about being the one pulled out of the crowd to dance with Bruce Springsteen in his Dancing in the Dark video? While Courteney Cox will always have that honor, seeing one of rock and roll's living legends all over my television screen this past month has brought those memories back.

The 59-year-old father of three shows no signs of slowing down after rocking the halftime show at the Super Bowl, winning a Golden Globe for his song from The Wrestler, performing at the inaugural concert and releasing a new album. And, that was just his January! His songs about the day-to-day struggles of working class Americans have made him a hero to many, while his political activism has helped him share the stage with several liberal politicians over the past few years.

Father to Evan James, 18, Jessica Rae, 17, and Sam Ryan, 15, Springsteen has kept his family out the limelight, only recently bringing them to events. The proud New Jersey native is about to embark on his latest concert tour, giving all us an opportunity to see this sugardaddy in person.

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To see more pics of the family man, read more.

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Do You Think the Mother Is the Heartbeat of the Family?

babysugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:00:51 -0800

Mother of three and a beauty to boot, Nicole Kidman was honored with a Glamour Women of the Year Award on Monday night. In her speech, the Australian beauty made her love for country crooning hubby evident. She said:

Three and a half years ago a man came along and said, "I'm going to take you to Tennessee." And he took me down there and he said, "I think you deserved to be loved. Let me love you, let me give you a home, and let's make a baby." So thank you, Keith Lionel."

As the voice of UNIFEM's Say No To Violence campaign, she is encouraging everyone to log on and sign the petition to help protect women around the world. She believes:

The mother is the heartbeat of the family. And if you take care of her, everyone does well.

It seems papa Urban is doing his fair share of protecting. Do you agree with Nicole that the mother is the heartbeat of the family?
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