LilSugar

Do You Have a Kids' Table at Holiday Dinners?

LilSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:00:20 -0800

My mom has a big family, which resulted in packed holiday gatherings. I don't recall a kids' table, but I do remember the "fun table." It wasn't a designated spot - my sister and I always slipped into seats far away from our parents and next to my young aunts and uncles. For conversational reasons or the sake of space, many families have a table just for children at their festivities. Do you?

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Jellio Cupcake Table: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:00:59 -0800

Sex and the City may have put cupcakes back on the national radar, but moms have always known that these bite-sized treats induce smiles. The sweet treats aren't just limited to birthdays and national holidays with the Jellio Cupcake Table ($750). The wrapper-like table comes in nine happy colors and features a clear or frosted glass top with no sharp edges in need of baby-proofing. What's your opinion?

Grey's Anatomy Rundown, "Push"

BuzzSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:30:00 -0800

Just when you thought Seattle Grace couldn't possibly be more overrun with paired off doctors, this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy offers up a new potential couple: Teddy and Mark. I have to admit that I can't believe I hadn't thought of these two together before! Only time will tell if Mark will be more than just a "candy bar" to Teddy, but I'm excited to see what happens here (especially with Owen getting green-eyed so quickly).

Mark and Teddy aren't the only ones contemplating their love lives: Bailey preps for her third date with Ben, with a little help and words of wisdom from Callie. On the medical side, Owen and Webber square off for surgical rights, with Cristina changing loyalties by the hour. For more on all the night's happenings, just read more.

The episode kicks off on a good note with some shirtless McSteamy as he tries to distract himself from thinking about hooking up with Seattle Grace randos. He admits to himself (and to Callie) that he's lonely and finally ready for a grown-up relationship - very big of him, I must say. I love the idea of Teddy as his new love interest; she has just the right amount of sass to keep him in line. That said, she's still in love with Owen and he's still in love with Lexie; will this just be a blip on their way back to old lovers?
Meredith sees the whole interaction between Teddy and Mark go down, but more importantly, she sees the jealousy in Owen's eyes. Love that she just lays all the cards on the table at the end of the episode, warning Owen not to hurt Cristina while she's in a happy place. Mere may not be the center of the drama this season, but I'm totally digging her turn as a supporting character (complete with snarky banter). I do have one complaint with her though - would it have been so hard for her to give Lexie a hug or a pat when she collapses in the bathroom over Mark?
Best one-liners this week go to Bailey. She's so adorably nervous about her big third date, especially as Callie continues to raise her expectations about sex and more. We learn quite a bit about uh, their grooming preferences (or "surgical fields" if you will), and I wouldn't expect anything less from stubborn Bailey. Of course, the best part is at the end of the episode when Ben gets to lecture her for once. Love scenes are rare to non-existent for Bailey, and it's a refreshing change to see her loosen up with someone who suits her.
Everything seems to be sunshine and rainbows for Callie and Arizona - they even take the attention off their own relationship to try to get Mark and Teddy together - and Callie starts fantasizing about their future together. Unfortunately, she gets a big wake up call when Arizona admits that she never wants kids. I have to say I was just as shocked as Callie is since Arizona is so sweet with her patients. By the way, this is the second time that children have become a factor in the future of a Grey's relationship. They're growing up so fast!

How'd you like the episode? Can you see Mark and Teddy as a couple? Are you liking the competition between Derek and Webber around the hospital?
Photo copyright 2010 ABC, Inc.

Simple or Swank: Chalk Tables For Tots

babysugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:52 -0800

Budding artists need room to practice their craft. Painting, coloring, and gluing can make a mess, so having a specific area to conduct these activities will help a mama keep the rest of the home neat and tidy. Easels might have done the job in the past, but today's tots often look for a more contemporary twist on the painting platform.

Simple: P'Kolino's square chalk table and benches ($80) work for art projects, as well as tea parties and board game marathons. The set's reversible table top can convert from a chalk cover to a plain one for different activities, while providing a storage compartment beneath it.
Swank: The round Offi chalk table ($400) provides more surface area for drawing and a center bowl for storing chalk and erasers, but does not come with seating.

Which do you prefer?

Katie and Alex Reunite Before He Reveals All to Alan

PopSugarUK — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Newlyweds Katie Price and Alex Reid were reunited yesterday after spending time apart while Alex was in India. He did send Kate a special surprise on Valentine's Day, however. The pair, who are one of my favourite couples, were spotted arriving at the May Fair Hotel and then Alex changed into bright white jeans for a trip to TV studios and then dinner at Nobu. Alex has spoken to Alan Carr about their wedding, saying that Kate accepted his proposal back in September, they didn't sign a pre-nup, and they wed in Vegas because they "just wanted to do it so urgently". He also spoke about Peter Andre, saying: "Peter's a great dad, I don't want to take anything away from him so why not all sit round a table? I love those kids but I don't want to be their dad." The interview will air tonight on Channel 4 at 10pm: will you be tuning in?

To check out more pictures, just read more.

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A Real Life "My Sister's Keeper" Situation in Britain

LilSugar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:00:48 -0800

Just like the story line behind last Summer's tearjerker, My Sister's Keeper, a BBC documentary that aired last night is raising ethical questions across the UK as it follows two families' attempts to conceive "savior children" to provide their current kids with bone marrow transplants.

The children suffer from Fanconi anemia, a rare genetic disease that prevents the body from producing blood, and their families have brought religious, medical, and economic issues to the table as they seek out help to create siblings that will provide the necessary bone marrow to save their older kids. To conceive children that will serve that purpose, they must screen, and then implant embryos that meet the genetic requirements. One couple has privately funded their four failed IVF attempts and is embarking on a fifth. The other, who have already lost one child to the disease, have successfully fought the nation's National Health Service to obtain government funding for one of their attempts at a successful embryo transfer.

Do you think the government should help families genetically engineer babies if they help save the life of another being?

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Do You Have a Kids' Table at Thanksgiving Dinner?

CasaSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:30:00 -0800

Some of my fondest childhood Thanksgiving memories involve sitting at the kids' table. I loved the sense of connection it gave me with my cousins, some of whom I only saw a few times a year. And of course, as soon as we finished eating, we could escape outside to play, before anyone could call us in for cleanup duty. Source

Valentine's Day Gets a Sequel: 5 Other Holiday Rom-Com Ideas

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:30:45 -0800

You ready for this? The star-packed Valentine's Day - which hasn't even hit theaters yet - is reportedly getting a sequel. The new installment will be based around New Year's Eve instead, with an ensemble of characters celebrating the big day in the setting of New York City. The plan is to have a few of the Valentine's actors return along with their director Garry Marshall for consistency.

New Year's Eve is definitely ripe for a good relationship storyline (just think of the classic When Harry Met Sally ball drop scene), but where do the holidays stop? The possibilities seem endless. So with that in mind, I'd like to pitch Hollywood the following holiday-themed romantic comedies.

Mother's Day: Two single people take their mothers out to dinner for Mother's Day, but uh-oh, the restaurant double-booked their table, so they're stuck sitting with each other. What begins as pure disgust - he's a slovenly eater, she's too picky - turns into romance as their moms plot in the ladies room to get them together.
St. Patrick's Day: It'd be like if The Hangover was a rom-com. You have two separate groups of friends on bar crawls when he spots her - a co-ed in a green belly shirt doing shots of Jameson. They get drunk together, dance an Irish jig, and by the end of the night, he's holding her hair back.

For three more of my premise suggestions, just read more.

Halloween: A costume ball serves as their meeting place. She shows up as eggs; he's dressed as bacon. They break the ice with bad breakfast puns and bond over their mutual love for Michael Jackson's "Thriller" ("You love 'Thriller?' Oh my gosh, I love 'Thriller!'"). They head to a diner before walking off arm in arm into the sunrise.
Take Your Daughter to Work Day: Two divorcees bring their precocious kids along to their offices. Bored, the children devise a plan to set up their parents by leaving fake love notes on post-its and emailing poetry copied from Wikipedia. Once the parents realize what's happened, it's too late - they've already fallen for each other.
Talk Like a Pirate Day: Yes, it's a real holiday. A group of guys celebrate by partying it up at a pirate ship theme restaurant. The film quickly turns into a thriller when a group of real swashbucklers overtake the establishment, forcing the star waitress to walk the plank. Starring Peter Sarrrrsgaard and Scarrrrlet Johansson.

Atlantis Adventure: Bringing Technology to Kids

LilSugar — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 09:00:03 -0800

The Bahamas is a place where families go to get away, but it's also cool to stay connected. When Atlantis, JetBlue and LEGO invited us to be their guest at the resort, we were surprised by all of the new gizmos in their kids club.

As we mentioned, the club is for kids only and parents aren’t allowed past the check-in counter. Each lil vacationer is given a GPS-enabled wristband that is worn throughout their stay and allows the staff to easily locate children when their parents come to pick them up, and when they leave the AKA site for group outings.

The Performance Room’s interactive projected floor games (dodge ball, fish catching, soccer goalie, etc.) and iWall games will keep even the youngest visitors on their toes, but it was the Arts and Crafts Room’s iTables and iWall that had us hooked. Much like an iPhone, the tables are loaded with apps for various age groups. The scribble-like app allows kids to color in Caribbean-themed coloring pages, the "fish tanks" are filled with virtual fish that scurry away when a lil hand touches them and the Whac-A-Mole-like Sea Scoop game teaches older kids about water conservation as they clean up the garbage-littered beach. The “create your own treasure map” game (which can be printed out) was a clear winner in my 3-year-old's book.

To read more about the technology at the resort and see photos, read more.

Older kids at the club are often taken on "field trips" around the grounds (to visit the dolphins and see the water conservation projects at work) where they are given digital cameras to document their adventures. When they return to the AKA facility, they are encouraged to email the photos to their parents and friends back home. The AKA’s use of the latest digital innovations for children was a true added benefit to the club.

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Atlantis Adventure: What We Thought of the Atlantis Kids Club

LilSugar — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:00:00 -0800

Have kids, will play! We recently spent some time down in the Bahamas courtesy of Atlantis, JetBlue and LEGO. The main purpose of our trip was to attend the grand opening of the resort’s Atlantis Kids Adventures (AKA). Nestled between the pristine beaches, inviting waterslides and attractive aquariums, the 8,000 square foot kid space is nothing short of a wonderland for 3-12 year olds. The kids only club (no parents are allowed beyond the check-in counter) blends traditional camp activities like arts and crafts and dodge ball with state-of-the art technology, in a modern space that has something for everyone. Staffed by an energetic team, the AKA allows visitors to pick their own guided “adventure” during their stay.

AKA’s youngest club-goers (all lil ones must be potty trained), will love the Imagination Station’s fully-stocked grocery store and life-sized Victorian dollhouse. Its Wizardology reading room is filled with adorable pods for kids to cozy up with a favorite book, while a talking tree "reads" books aloud. There is also a performance room with a dress up area (complete with photographers that snap pictures to show off to mom and dad later) and interactive projected floor games (dodge ball, fish catching, soccer goalie, etc.) and an arts and crafts room where tots can complete both digital and live projects.

It might be hard trying to pry your older child's hands off of all of the Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 controllers that line the Game Room. Mac stations fill the Computer Room allowing kids to safely browse the web and compete in online games against other club-goers. And the Arts and Crafts Room is filled with projects specifically designed for the more mature crowd.

To see where the club could use some improvements and how much it will cost you, read more.

The state-of-the-art AKA seemingly has enough activities to keep kids' hands (and minds) busy while parents enjoy a lil R&R of their own, but given the location of the club, I was disappointed to find that most of the activities were indoors. While there is an outdoor play space (complete with life-size versions of Scrabble and Candy Land, a ping pong table and a basketball hoop), it had to be sought out, which is pretty hard to do when you are surrounded by fancy technology.

The staff did tell me that lunch and snacks are often eaten outside, but given that most families visit the resort as an escape from cold-weather locales, I would love to see more activities that involve the kids exploring the aquariums, beach and dolphins that make Atlantis such a great destination.

In terms of pricing, the morning and afternoon sessions (3 and 4 hours each, respectively) cost $45 each, with lunch and dinner options available for an additional fee. There is also an hourly rate available. For families who want to enjoy the resort’s outdoor activities together during the day, but are looking for some time for mom and dad to experience one of Atlantis’ celebrity chef restaurants and the casino, the $60 evening session (from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.) is the same price as the babysitting service, but a lot more fun than sitting in your room with a strange caretaker.

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