LilSugar

Simple or Swank: Wooden Colored Pencils

LilSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:00:08 -0700

I've learned simple arts and crafts projects can delight my children more than any fancy toys or videos. Color pencils are a superb tool for aspiring artists who have graduated from crayon use, but haven't started reading and writing yet. They are sturdy and allow lil ones to get used to the feeling of holding a pencil or pen for future handwriting, but will help create pretty pictures.

Simple: Derwent Studio Colored Pencils ($36 for 36) are an inexpensive alternative to the chunky set. The art supply staples will allow your tots to experiment with color without you worrying about them losing a pencil.
Swank: Twig Crayons ($150 for 60) were once featured in Vogue, but they are a bit pricey for art time unless your little one is a mini René Magritte. Despite their name, they are in fact, very fancy colored pencils.

Celebrate Cultures With Complexion Crayons and Pencils

LilSugar — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Crayola renamed its "Flesh" crayon "Peach" in 1962, as it was seen by some as racist and politically incorrect. Today, children can choose a variety of art supplies, from the waxed coloring sticks to pencils, to accurately shade in their skin in self-portraits. Celebrate the diverse beauty of the world's peoples by checking out some of these products.

Crayola's Multicultural Crayons ($2.50). The eight-pack of chunky crayons offers shades of black, sepia, peach, apricot, white, tan, mahogany, and burnt sienna. Lyra Assorted Skin Colors Pencil Set ($27). The fine pigmented pencils come in a pack with a dozen shades that can be mixed to create any complexion a lil artist wants. People Pencils ($20). The set of 15 pencils can be blended to achieve different skin tones to represent humans around the globe.

Meet Moms and Share Your Tales in Our Community Groups!

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:01:48 -0800

You've waited in line for your son's soccer jersey, penciled your daughter's art classes onto the calendar, and shuttled your kids to karate. Now that their Fall activities are in full swing, take a few mom-me moments to do the same for yourself. LilSugar's Community offers a place for you to hang out, vent, brainstorm, and showcase your talents. What fits your fancy? Check out and join some of our hottest groups!

Preggers? Join the Pregnancy Posse!	Share Your Good - and Bad - OMG! Moments	Share Photos of Your Sugar Babies!
Join In on the Fun in The Mommy Club	Dish about Recipes in The Children's Table	Get Decor Tips From Revamping Baby's Room

Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

Do You Hold Family Meetings?

LilSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:23 -0800

The family that eats together, stays together, right? While dinners often serve as a family meeting of sorts, some busy broods pencil in a separate meeting time in hopes of improving family communication, conflict resolution, and discussing other issues that may come up. The digital age of emailing, cell phones, and social networking has made it possible for many families to interact without coming face-to-face with one another. Though it may seem old-fashioned, some crews choose to assemble the troops on a regular basis.

Do tell, does your family hold meetings?

Wed, 31 Dec 1969 16:00:00 -0800

Mom-Me Time: Get Involved in LilSugar's Community Groups!

LilSugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:00:01 -0700

You've waited in line for your son's soccer jersey, penciled your daughter's art classes onto the calendar, and shuttled your kids to karate. Now that their Fall activities are in full swing, take a few mom-me moments to do the same for yourself. LilSugar's Community offers a place for mothers to hang out, vent, brainstorm, and showcase their talents. What fits your fancy? Check out and join some of our hottest groups!

The Children's Table: Whether you've got kids with pint-sized palates that appreciate culinary cuisine or children that only eat chicken nuggets and french fries, share your recipes, tips and tricks.

The Mommy Club: If you have an offspring, you're eligible for this club where moms can chat about everything from the terrible twos to sleep deprivation to those ah-ha! moments.

Pregnancy Posse: Congratulations - you're expecting! Connect with all the other mamas growing babies in their bellies. Share your experience, ask questions, and dole out advice to the rest of the bumpalicious ladies.

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me?: Tell us your shocking, funny, embarrassing, and insightful tales that you wish you had known becoming a mother!

Sugarbabies: Parents love to dote on their lil darlings. Showcase your beautiful bundle of joy by uploading their fun, fabulous, candid, and adorable pics! And, go ahead - brag a bit!

Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

A Few of Lil's Favorite Things: September

LilSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:00:04 -0700

This month families will fall back into a routine as the kiddos head back to class and parents get organized. While you're stocking up on items to take you through the rest of the year, consider some of our fabulous must haves that make a mama's life easier! From baby gear to art supplies, we've got a few favorite lil things.

Storksak Jess Diaper Bag ($158). Whether you've got one babe or a bunch, the British brand makes amazing totes for mothers on the move. The Jess is a well-made, stylish bag that provides enough space to stash necessities and sits firm on a mum's shoulder so she can hold onto lil hands or push a stroller.
Made Me Blush Smartzip Sleeper ($24). The soft cotton one piece is perfect for a sleeping babe because it zips both ways making changing diapers a cinch.
Snugli Sway Soft Carrier ($35). Many slings involve a mother wrapping her wee one, but the Snugli has a secure insert to buckle the newborn in and even nurse!
Simple Shoes for Kids ($38 - $42). These colorful and flexible shoes will keep your toddler on track and in style.
Corsario Soft Pencil Case ($25). Made my Haba, this cute pirate cannon can hold writing utensils and erasers while doubling as a rolling desktop toy.

Cell Phones That Keep Parents and Children in Touch

LilSugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:00:10 -0700

Staying connected with your kids now involves technology. While back-to-school shopping means papers, pencils and knapsacks for most lil ones, some parents are also adding mobile phones to the supply list.

Thirty-eight percent of LilSugar readers said their children carry a cell phone with them, while 48 percent said they were against a school ban on the wireless devices. The biggest concerns parents have with the gadgets is that their youngsters will overuse them, talk to inappropriate people and not pay attention to class lessons. Cell phone providers are aware of these issues and have taken several measures to make parents more comfortable with them. Among their latest offerings are:

GPS services on popular wireless provider's plans that allow parents to pinpoint kids' locations at any time. Verizon's Chaperone and Sprint's Family Locator allow parents to track their children from their computers on a password-protected account.
Parental control services, also offered by traditional wireless provider's plans, that give parents the ability to set limits on when and where the phones are used.
Specific wireless networks created expressly for young kids, such as Kajeet and FireFly. Designed for elementary school users, the services offer parental controls on all of their phones, allowing parents to limit who can call the phone and who their kids can call. The systems also offer timers that limit when calls can be made to certain numbers and weekly "allowance" minutes that can be added to (or subtracted from) based on the child's behavior.

Check out some of the devices that house these GPS and parental controls below.

View 6 Photos ›

Test Your Swine Flu Facts

LilSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:00:22 -0700

Paper? Check. Pencils? Check. Swine flu vaccination? With kids across the nation heading back to school, parental concern over the spread of the H1N1 virus – or swine flu – is at an all time high. While many doctors and officials argue that the virus is no more dangerous than the annual flu, others are racing to be the first in line for vaccination. As the Centers for Disease Control and local officials prepare to distribute the vaccine, take this quiz and see just how much you know about the swine flu.

Take the quiz

Guess the Carpool Lane Celebrity Parents

LilSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:00:22 -0700

It's back-to-school season and celeb parents are gearing up for another year of drop-offs and pickups, albeit with a few cameras in their faces. Before gathering your number two pencils and clean marble notebooks, take our quiz and see if you can guess which celeb moms and dads were spotted in the carpool line.

Enter to win a $1,000 wardrobe for your child from Tea Collection!

Question 1 of 10

Which mama was spotted carrying an art project while picking up her lil ones from school?