Blog Posts by LilSugar

Source: Toddler Art: Bubble Wrap Paint and Print

The next time you get a Bubble-Wrapped item in the mail, don't toss that wrapper. Along with being a fun way to encourage fine motor skills by popping those itty-bitty plastic bubbles, your little one can use it for creating a really cool painting. You'll never look at Bubble Wrap the same way after this fun activity! And your lil one will love getting messy with a bit of paint. Feeling adventurous? Instead of offering your tot a paintbrush, see what happens when your lil one only uses his fingers for this craft!


What You'll Need:

• Bubble Wrap
• Scissors
• Paint
• Scrap paper
• Paintbrush
• White paper

• Cut a section of the Bubble Wrap about the same size as the sheet of white paper.
• Select a few colors of paint to use with your tot. Fold the sheet of scrap paper in half to use as a palette for the paint. Squeeze out a small dab of each paint onto the paper and place next to the Bubble Wrap along

LilSugarSource: 5 Smoothies Perfect For Busy Mornings

Get the day started right with a smoothie that takes minutes to make. You just might be surprised how much your kids will love these fresh, sweet drinks, which are also packed with healthy goodness. And these blended smoothies aren't just for breakfast: they also make perfect after-school snacks or on-the-go treats. We've rounded up five options perfect for blending together on a busy morning.

• Blueberry Avocado: Blend together blueberries and avocados to create a healthy smoothie high in antioxidants and healthy oleic acid. Your kids will never guess that the creamy green fruit gives this smoothie its rich flavor.
• Mango-Yogurt Smoothie: Turn the morning into a tropical treat with a mango smoothie recipe that will have the whole family thinking that they're on vacation. Perfect for on the go or enjoying with a full breakfast.
• Oatmeal Smoothies: The addition of oats gives a smoothie from Martha Stewart just a bit

LilSugarSource: How to Pick the Most Soothing Nursery Room Colors

A nursery should be a calm oasis for both mom and tot, so picking a paint color is more than just a random decision. Not sure how to make it calm? Glidden makes it easy with its Brilliance Collection of paints. From dark brown to minty green, the collection's colors were carefully selected by Glidden's own director of color marketing, Barbara Richardson, to ensure parents can pick the most soothing colors for their baby's room.

Along with including classic baby colors, the hues are balanced with unexpected options that make picking the right color for your tot's room a bit more creative, but still geared to baby. And these colors are made to stand the test of time, growing with your lil one over the years. Click through to find the perfect color for your future nursery as well as a few items we feel complement the painted walls.

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Source: Diaper Bag Beauty: 6 Mommy Makeup Essentials

Gone are the days when you could spend hours playing with makeup at Sephora. It's hard enough to find a little alone time, let alone practice your former, pristine beauty rituals. Don't worry: you can still look your best with these six essentials. Just toss them in the diaper bag alongside the bottles and stay fresh-faced wherever you end up.

• Hair elastics: Sometimes mama just has to put her hair up and be done with it. If hair ties aren't already your newest wrist accessory, don't forget to pack a few in your diaper bag. Use them in an easy updo to switch up your look at a moment's notice.
• Multipurpose stick: Anything called "multipurpose" is a mother's dream. We absolutely cannot live without the NARS Multiple Stick ($39) for an easy, well-rested look. Try a neutral color like Maldives, and swipe the creamy formula on your cheeks, forehead, and lips for just the right amount of shimmer to achieve a healthy glow.

Source: A Family-Friendly Smoothie For the Morning Rush

There's nothing like a quick, easy, and healthful breakfast to get the morning started right, and this recipe from Melissa d'Arabian, host and author of 10 Dollar Dinners, does just that. Plus, it sneaks in spinach, which you might not think belongs at the breakfast table until giving this smoothie a try. Along with being seriously fast, the green morning smoothie is also a d'Arabian family favorite.



Green Morning Smoothies
Reprinted from Ten Dollar Dinners, Copyright 2012 by Melissa d'Arabian. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House Inc.

Ingredients
2 cups vanilla almond, coconut, or soy milk
1/2 cup whole oats
1-1/4 cups fresh, frozen, or canned peaches or mango cubes
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup baby spinach, loosely packed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 bananas

Directions
Place the milk and oats in a blender, and blend for 15 seconds on high. Add the peaches, ice, spinach, honey, vanilla,

Source: Top Chef Antonia Lofaso's Fave Kid-Friendly (and Fast!) Pasta

We fell for laid-back single mom and chef Antonia Lofaso on Top Chef, but we're doubly in love after the release of her first book, The Busy Mom's Cookbook, this month. Pick up a copy to score 100 practical, delicious recipes and tons of tips to get your kids excited about new foods. "Having my daughter in the kitchen has made her a more adventurous eater, but it's also been about getting her to the supermarket and letting her pick out her own fruits and vegetables,"

Antonia told us. "Let your kids explore - even if they pick up a pile of beets and don't know what they are. Before you know it, you'll have a kid who loves to eat beets and brussels sprouts!" Antonia shared a few of her favorite recipes with us (check out her best blueberry muffins recipe and caramel-almond popcorn recipe), but we're most excited about her go-to Sicilian broccoli pasta, which you can whip up in a mere 20 minutes!

"My grandma made me

Source: How to Be a Team Mom and a Team Player

Sports are a great way for children to have fun, make friends, and learn lessons that also apply off the field. But it can be too easy for kids and parents alike to get caught up in hypercompetitiveness, especially on the heels of the Olympics excitement of the past few weeks. Before you start fantasizing about signing day or gold-medal moments, teach your little athlete to enjoy the rewards that sports have to offer, at every level. Remember, it's just a game - and a growing opportunity! Here's how to be the encourager, not the coach, and let you and your child get the most enjoyment out of sports.

• Focus on fun: Fun is the first order of business for both you and your little tyke. This should be the biggest motivation for your child to stay in the game. Enjoy watching him improve, joining the pizza parties, and seeing him make new friends. If you remain lighthearted and appreciate your child's progress without getting too serious,

LilSugarSource: A Little Man at His Retro Manhattan First Birthday Party

For a globetrotting tot, the sky's the limit when it comes to a first birthday party. Caroline Tran, a Los Angeles-based photographer, has traveled the country with her tot in tow and paid tribute to their favorite destination for her lil one's soiree. With '60s-era Manhattan all the rage - thanks to the likes of Mad Men - she set out to create a mini version of the Big Apple. Using her father's carpentry talents and the expertise of Grand Soirées and Skybox Event Productions, Caroline crafted her own lil piece of NYC in the heart of LA. Keep reading to see all of the precious details!

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