LilSugar

Simple or Swank: The Obama Girls' New Swing Set

LilSugar — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:00:36 PST

Swing sets have come a long way from the old tire hanging from a tree branch. Yesterday, Malia and Sasha Obama came home from school to see just how far they have come. While not necessarily the most extravagant swing set, their parents surprised them with a deluxe addition that would leave most tots jumping for joy!
Simple: The Rainbow All-American Double Decker ($1,700) is made expressly for Costco and includes two forts, three swings, a picnic table, sandbox, rock wall, ship's wheel, telescope, and climbing rope. Made of all-American timber, the set is sure to last for many years of outdoor play.

Swank: While you might not be able to buy an exact replica of the Obama girls' new play structure (it is etched with the names of all 44 presidents and has a plaque stating, "Malia and Sasha's castle handcrafted with pride in the heartland of America . . . God bless America"), the Rainbow Castle Package 4 ($3,500) is made from cedar and North American Redwood and comes with a tire swing, four swings, monkey bars, trapeze rings, a slide, fort, climbing wall, rope ladder, picnic table, and climbing ropes.

Which one do you prefer?

Photo courtesy of AP

Cool Idea: Play in Public

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:00:07 PDT

We may not remember rocking away in bouncy seats as infants, but I'm sure we all remember playing on swing sets as kids. In either case, was it ever not fun? I think not. So, why are Trix just for kids? And why should play be relegated just to playgrounds and backyards? I think adults should get a piece of the fun and games, and play should be accepted in public, and apparently so does British industrial design student Bruno Taylor.The renegade playground builder has decided that it's about time we bring play back into public space. He has created a project which incorporates incidental play in the public realm, including a public bench that bounces, for all to use, and the installation of swings into existing bus stops. Is that rad or what? To see a video of Taylor's swing being installed guerrilla-style into a bus stop,

Toy Box: The Swing Set of Dreams

babysugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:00:45 PDT

I was flipping through a magazine recently and flipped out when I saw this fabulous swing set.

Made by CedarWorks, a 27-year-old company based in Rockport, Maine, the set is made from 100 percent northern white cedar, which is known to be splinter-free. To see its only drawback,

read more. The swank set is part of the company’s Serendipity Series and includes gazebo-like play stations, multiple slides, a variety of swings, a sky bridge, a steering wheel, a spyglass, a rope ladder, and whimsically cut-out walls and roofs. The only downside is the price - a whopping $21,850! It's nice to fantasize. Maybe I'll buy it if I win the lottery. If money were no object, would you invest in this lux item for your lil ones?

Tone Your Middle With the Kettlebell Windmill

Susi May — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:27:14 PST

Swinging kettlebells around at the gym makes me feel like a super toughie. But I do love the sassy feeling I get doing slow and controlled windmills, a move I just learned from my Equinox trainer Lauren. Like most kettlebell moves, this is a full-body exercise, but the work is at your waist, toning the obliques and stretching the sides of the torso. The shoulders and arms are worked nicely, too.

If you're a beginner, try this exercise with no weights. Once you feel familiar with the sequence, add one five-pound dumbbell into the mix, holding the weight in the hand that remains held above the head. When you're ready, progress to using a set of four-kilogram (8.8 pounds) kettlebells.

Start toning your love handles now; bikini season is right around the corner.

Got Two Left Feet? Let Zumba Help You Find the Beat

Self — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:12:19 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

If you're anything like me, Zumba has always held a certain allure, but the very idea of dancing in front of a roomful of people sounds about as appealing as doing my taxes or making a spur-of-the-moment appointment at the DMV. I'm not just painfully shy about busting a move but hopelessly uncoordinated in the booty-shaking department.

So after years of avoiding Zumba for fear of embarrassing myself, I decided it was time to stop being a wallflower and start working up a sweat. "I used to be a very shy person but I have learned that everything in life is about attitude," says Gisella Ferreira, a Zumba instructor at the Brasil Brasil Cultural Center in Los Angeles. "Having a positive attitude makes all the difference, so go with an open mind and let yourself enjoy the party!"

As for doing the actual dance steps, Ferreira is quick to point out that literally anybody can follow along with a little practice. "I see new Zumba students every day that have never danced in their lives and are able to dance through the whole class," she says. "Zumba is a world dance fitness party. It's easy to do, effective, and totally exhilarating." If that's not enough motivation, Ferreira says Zumba burns between 500 and 800 calories per class and targets "glutes, thighs, calves, abdominals, core, pectorals, biceps, and triceps."

Ready to get this party started? Add this five-move sequence to your regular workout routine four days a week and, before you know it, you'll be dancing in the streets. Read on for the workout.

From the Community: A Santa Baby Workout!

Fit Community — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:29:01 PST

Bring some yuletide cheer to your workout routine with some help from the girls at Toneitup! These FitSugar readers developed this video workout with some sweet festive moves.

Hey Fitsugar! We have a new workout for you. With New Year's fast approaching, and the holidays here in full swing, you'll love your new Santa Baby Workout! With only a set of five-pound dumbbells, you can get this in at your home in less time than you think.

See the printable workout after the break!

Vacation Over? Do-Ahead Tips to Return to Work Stress-Free

Michele Foley — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:47:13 PST

After an extended period of travel, getting back into the swing of a normal day-to-day routine can seem stressful and overwhelming. This is especially true when it comes to work-related tasks: coming back to an inordinate amount of emails, pending deadlines, and just office life in general is often hard to manage after spending a week or two away. To make the transition from vacation to work go a little smoother, do these things before even boarding the plane.

Wrap up any unfinished business: Before you say, "see you later" to work, finish up as many projects as you can - this also includes getting through all of your email. It'll keep you from worrying about all the stuff you need to catch up on once you're back, and you can relax and enjoy yourself. It's also much easier to come back to the office when you don't have a pile of folders waiting for you. If it's impossible to finish every task on your desk, leave yourself notes about the status of where you're at and touch base with any colleagues that are working on these projects with you.
Clean your work area: After a week in paradise, the last thing you want to see is a cluttered, disorganized desk - it's only going to make it that much harder to transition from vacation mode to work mode. Before going on vacation, file away anything that's on your desk, clean out and organize your drawers, and give your workstation a good wipe down. It's such a simple thing to do, but coming back to a clean desk makes returning to work much easier.

See more tips on making the return to work stress-free after the break!

My Week With Marilyn Director Talks Michelle Williams and the Modern Marilyn Monroe Obsession

Annie Scudder — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:50:53 PST

"It's a love letter to the agony and ecstasy of celebrity," director Simon Curtis, pictured above, told me about his latest project, My Week With Marilyn. The film starring Michelle Williams is out on Nov. 23, and follows the icon on a 1956 trip to London, which doubled as a honeymoon with playwright Arthur Miller and a work trip to film The Prince and the Showgirl. The movie, based on two books, catches up with Marilyn after her husband leaves and she begins to befriend 23-year-old set assistant Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne).

My Week With Marilyn attempts to pull back layers of Marilyn the sex symbol to reveal a more authentic depiction of the private star - without turning her into a depressed or drudged-out caricature. I sat down with the filmmaker, and here's what Simon Curtis told me about Michelle's performance and what he learned about Marilyn Monroe.

TrèsSugar: Why did you want Michelle Williams to play Marilyn Monroe?
Simon Curtis: With Marilyn Monroe you have a certain, very limited number of people who are the right age, the right potential Marilyn Monroe looks. Michelle was way at the top of my list. Not only is she gifted and brilliant, she's incredibly hardworking and she wanted her performance to be as good as I did.

TS: You came in with high expectations. Did the performance exceed that?
SC: Yes, it does actually. You never know when you're making something, but she just amazed me on every single day. There's something about her fearlessness taking on the complexity of Marilyn, who I think a modern mental health professional would diagnose somewhere in the bipolar, borderline personality area. And certainly those wild mood swings - one of those beguiling things about Marilyn is that you never knew who was going to walk in the door, or who was going to walk out. And Michelle just went for it and presented this multifaceted character who's also incredible as Marilyn.

TS: What about those bookend song performances by Michelle? I had to do a double take for the final one because I couldn't quite tell if it was Michelle or Marilyn.
SC: We wanted to present in those songs the fantasy, the Marilyn people saw or remember, because so much of our film is this private, unexpected Marilyn.

TS: The movie is a window into her life rather than a biopic. By experiencing the details of her life, what do you think will surprise audiences about Marilyn?
SC: This is a very crucial time in Marilyn's life. In 1956, she came to London with such high hopes because she was going to work with the great Laurence Olivier, she had set up her own production company way ahead of her time, was in fact a producer of this film, and of course was married to the great Arthur Miller, who she thought was going to rescue her and give her some intellectual credibility. And the story of our film is how those things all went very quickly wrong.

TS: But there's a lot of humor in that dark story of things gone wrong. It sort of surprised me how feel-good it was in a way.
SC: I'm glad. It's a very nuanced film and there is a lot of darker stuff, but that's right. It's a love letter to filmmaking, the agony and ecstasy of filmmaking. I love it that the actors found so much humor, specifically Ken Branagh. We wanted it to have all of those qualities.

To find out why Simon Curtis thinks Marilyn is so relevant today, whether he used body doubles, and what he hopes audiences will come away with, just keep reading.

Kristin Chenoweth on That Amazing Smile, Her Skin Care Secrets, and More

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:01:27 PST

Kristin Chenoweth is more than just a triple threat: the lady is a dynamo. She swings from Broadway to television to album-making without missing a beat, and she always looks amazing. Kristin recently became Listerine's newest spokes-smile, so we talked to her about her famous pearly whites, how she keeps her skin looking so great, and what products from the film set she uses at home. To see what she had to say, just keep reading.

Pink and Baby Willow Land Their Happy Feet at a Malibu Park

Lauren Turner — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:58:08 PST

Pink held her daughter Willow close at a park in Malibu yesterday. The 5-month-old, who was wearing a cute bear hat, took a ride on the swings while her mom watched from the sandbox. It was a casual day for the duo, but Monday they were fancy for an event with dad Carey Hart. Pink, Carey, and Willow attended the Happy Feet 2 premiere in LA just days ahead of its release tomorrow. Pink voices a character in the animated sequel, which is just one of her current movie projects. She also has Thanks For Sharing in the works and was spotted on that set in NYC last month.