Blog Posts by Kaboodle.com

Is this outfit sexy or cute?

Despite her daughter's persistent pleas, one editor in our office refused to let her four-year-old have a bikini because she thought the style was too "adult" for her toddler. By the age of seven, she acquiesced, but not without second thoughts.

Her internal struggle got us wondering: Do you think it's fine or too flirty for toddlers to wear two-piece bathing suits?

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Keep your stainless looking great

Stainless steel appliances have a fantastically modern and chic look-right up until the moment someone damages them and scars them forever. If you've got stainless steel in your home, it'll look great for years to come, provided you give it the right care and avoid the following damage-inducing errors.

1. Scrub them with steel wool or rough materials.
Stainless steel can easily be scratched, and once they are marked, there is no remedy. Clean it gently, with a soft side of a sponge and soapy water, and go with the grain, if your stainless has one.

2. Clean with abrasive cleaners.
Like steel wool, abrasive cleaners, such as Ajax, can easily scratch the finish on your stainless steel appliances, especially if you scrub against the grain. Stick with gentle cleaners and if you need to scrub, do so with the grain with a soft cloth dampened with soapy water.

3. Forget to rinse and towel dry.
Despite its name, stainless steel can, in fact, be

You don't have to pay retail prices

While it's understandable that gluten-free foods are more expensive due to their need for special production equipment and smaller-batch production, their steep price tags can still be hard to swallow. Fortunately, there are ways to pay substantially less money for these specialty items, provided you know the following five tricks. Try them next time you shop for gluten-free goods and you're guaranteed to save money.

1. Shop online.
Amazon's marketplace is full of your favorites, most of which are offered at substantial discount for case prices. So long as you have storage space for Pamela's Pancake Mix (3 4-pound bags for $44.61!) or Udi's White Sandwich Bread ($44.29 for 8 loaves!), you'll save big-especially if you buy enough goods at once to have shipping waived!

2. Ask for a bulk discount at your local store.
Did you know that stores give bulk discounts if you ask for them? Neither did we, until we requested a case of Udi's Gluten-Free Vanilla

Road travel can be fun

Memorial Day Weekend (May 26th-28th this year) marks the unofficial beginning of summer-and road trip season! But before you hop in the car for sunshine destinations, consider the following tips, which help you get there safely and with sanity.


1. Navigate Around Traffic
You're not the only one heading out of town for the weekend, so plan around the traffic. Don't depart during peak commute hours. Consider leaving early in the morning or around dinnertime. Also, if you have an iPhone, download Waze, an app that speaks GPS directions (so you don't have to look at the phone while behind the wheel), alerts you when traffic, accidents, or highway patrol are looming, and offers alternative routes when necessary.


2. Offer Amusements for Kids
Anyone familiar with the "Are we there yet" mantra understands why it's critical to stock up on things to occupy the kids. But what?! A portable DVD player can be your best friend, provided you charged it in advance. (Better yet,

Do bad habits start early?

Since recent studies at UCSF revealed that sugar is not only addictive but also toxic like alcohol and cigarettes, some of us here at Kaboodle HQ have been more conscious than ever about our love affair with sweets, as well as our desire to protect our children from it. One of our editors has strict rules around indulgence for her six year old-ice cream on Fridays and pancakes on Sundays, but no treats the rest of the week. Another staffer believes that giving a little treat after dinner each night makes sugar less of a desired taboo and set-up for future overindulgences.

Tell us: What's your philosophy around children and sweets?

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Drinking your food helps lose weight

Anyone trying to trim the fat in time for beach season knows that it's not just what you eat, but also what you drink that matters. And don't think for a second that doesn't include diet beverages. Ever since the study presented at an American Diabetes Association meeting in 2011 linked drinking diet to wider waistlines, it's more apparent than ever that you are not only what you eat but also what you drink. Luckily, the following six beverages not only satisfy, but also keep you on the waist-slimming track. Reach for them next time you're parched-or hungry-and you'll stay hydrated, healthy, and on your way to an awesome bikini body!

1. Fresh "Green" juices
There's a reason juicing is all the rage right now-fresh-pressed mixtures of the likes of kale, apple, celery, cucumber, ginger, and lemon not only provide multiple servings of fruits and veggies in one sitting, but are also surprisingly good and satisfying. Bonus: They also make skin look younger and

Healthy eating habits start early

Studies show that children's lifetime habits form long before adulthood, with many of their routines and perspectives on how to navigate the world formed as early as five years old. This means that what you allow your child to put in his or her mouth today can greatly influence the eating choices he or she will make decades later. With optimal life-long health in mind, following are nine tips for teaching your child to eat well.

1. Set a good example.
The notion of practicing what you preach was never more important than with eating habits. If you binge diet, live on fast food, skip meals, or regularly down sodas and juice in front of your child, you're teaching her bad habits-even if you keep her on a healthier diet.

2. Cook with your child.
Part of being a healthful adult is knowing how to feed yourself healthy foods, meaning whole foods and fresh, quality ingredients combined and cooked for solid nutrition. If your child doesn't learn how to cook at home,

It's easy to elevate your next picnic or barbecue

Outdoor entertaining season is here again, and with it comes the opportunity to invest in the following fashionable and functional pieces that will make your next alfresco party easier and more elegant than ever!

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