Blog Posts by LilSugar

Source: 4 Simple Tips to Encourage Your Kids' Creativity

Painting and drawing are great artistic outlets, but creativity means more than simply diving into a box of crayons. To encourage your kids' creativity in other areas, it's best to step outside the box and introduce them to fresh, new activities and environments. Whether it's a quick cooking date or a day spent out on the town, we've come up with four simple tips to help your little ones exercise their imaginations:

1. Invite them into the kitchen. Make a space for your kids in your cooking routine and teach them about different spices or food combinations. Let them create their own recipes, have taste tests, and bring them to the farmers market to introduce them to new foods. Giving them a glimpse of what goes into their meals is a great way to stimulate their curiosity and maybe even kick-start a new passion.
2. Turn off the TV and turn up the music. Whether it's during arts and crafts or while your kids do their homework,

LilSugarSource: Gifts That Keep Giving! 6 Subscription Services Just For New Moms

Sure, it's fun to gift a new mom with an outrageous, pint-size cashmere sweater or those gorgeous swaddlers at the top of her registry, but for your next shower, think outside of the box . . . and buy a gift subscription that will arrive in one every single month. Subscription boxes from companies like Bluum, The Honest Company, and Citrus Lane keep moms stocked up on baby and mom-friendly items all year long. Keep reading for six awesome services that will send clothing, toys, organic baby products, and even breastmilk-boosting cookies to your pregnant friend. Or just order a subscription for yourself!

• Bluum: Order a subscription to Bluum, and you'll get four or five trial-size samples of new wellness products for pregnant women, new moms, and babies from newborn to 1 year old. Bluum boxes are based on a different theme every month (recent themes have been cuddle bunnies, goodnight moon, and girl talk),

LilSugarSource: Jet-Set Family: 10 Apps For Families Going on Spring Break

Hit the road without hitting rock bottom! Spring break is prime time for travel - be it for a trip to grandma's house or on a vacation - but getting there isn't always half the fun. Eliminate mad dashes through the airport in search of a toilet and road trip boredom with a few apps designed to make the air, roads, and rails just a wee bit friendlier!

• Where (free): No need to aimlessly drive around looking for a gas station (or search for the cheapest one in the area) with the Where app. The app also provides weather updates, traffic information, and movie schedules - perfect for when everyone needs a little break from "family time."
• Snapfinger (free): Want to make the tots feel at home? Find one of their favorite chain restaurants with Snapfinger. The app will show you the closest outposts of national favorites like Subway, Outback, California Pizza Kitchen, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Moe's, Baja Fresh,

LilSugarSource: 6 Strange, but Real Baby Products That Really Work

Too good to be true? Walk the aisles of a baby emporium and you're sure to see products that claim to cure lil ones of every ill - many of them looking and sounding more than slightly outlandish. But leave it to real moms to put them to the test and determine which are really worthy of some space on the changing table. See which ones make the cut!

• Nosefrida ($15): Say goodbye to the ubiquitous bulb aspirator and hello to the Nosefrida - the Swedish-designed tube and hose that allows mama to literally suck the snot out of her lil one's stuffed nose. It may sound gross, but filters prevent the mucus from ever entering mom's mouth and it actually works.
• Puj Baby Portable Bathtub ($98): Infant tubs are large and cumbersome. And while the Puj Baby Portable Bathtub looks like little more than a large piece of foam, it easily replaces the big plastic tub while still keeping baby safe and comfortable. Made from soft

Source: 10 Words to Avoid in Front of Your Kids

Out of the mouths of babes . . . As parents, we know that anything that's uttered within earshot of our kids is fair game for repetition. And while eliminating all of those four-letter favorites is a no-brainer, there are plenty of others that can be just as damaging. Here, the 10 words we suggest that you ban from your vocabulary in front of your kids.

1. Hate: You might be talking about rush hour traffic, a line at the grocery store, or a bad commercial on TV. But when it's used to talk about a classmate, teacher, or birthday gift, "hate" can be terribly hurtful.
2. Stupid: There's not much that's less appreciated than being called "stupid," and this is one that lil ones tend to enjoy repeating . . . again and again and again.
3. Retard: A word that's so offensive, there's an entire website devoted to banishing it. If you haven't already done so, you should get on board and eliminate the R-word from your adult

LilSugarSource: 11 Tips For Surviving Your First Trip to Walt Disney World

"We're going to Disney World!" As soon as my kids heard Eli Manning utter that post-Super Bowl phrase, they couldn't wait to board the plane for Orlando, FL. Little did they know that we had booked our trip six months earlier, planning to stay at an apartment off-property (thanks, Nanna!), a few miles from the park. I loved Disney World as a kid, but back then, it was just two parks, and I wasn't the one planning the trip or paying for it! Today it is five parks, and we were planning on meeting friends there the week of Presidents' Day - the kids would be off from school, but so would thousands of other kids all with the same destination in mind. To say I was nervous about the trip is an understatement. I envisioned waiting in long lines everywhere, being inundated with kids whining for Mickey Mouse ears and other souvenirs every three minutes, and feeling overwhelmed by the size of the parks. My vision couldn't have

LilSugarSource: Shutterbug: 5 Unique Places to Photograph Your Kids

Point and shoot! Every day with your kids is full of memories, but we don't always remember to pull out the camera and capture them for posterity. Mom and photographer Jennifer Little, founder of Fort Collins, CO-based Sugar Photography (no relation), believes it is these little, everyday moments that families love to look back on. She says, "It's about emotions and capturing the full range of your child in unique but natural environments." Keep reading to see some of the unusual places she recommends snapping some shots, as well as beautiful examples of her work!

• The Airport: According to Little, "See the airport through the wonderment of a child's eyes. The mass, the magnitude, and the concept of how the airport operates provide your child an unforgettable experience perfect for capturing, and will undoubtedly result in millions of questions for you. The tunnels, trains, moving sidewalks, escalators, baggage claim, and

Source: Parenting Post-Separation: How Much Togetherness Is Too Much?

If you're divorced or separated, how often do you interact with your ex in front of your kids? Family dinners? Weekend outings? Family vacations? How much is too much?

Denise Richards recently shared a February recap of personal family photos on her blog in which she and Charlie Sheen are shown happily posing with their girls. Charlie brought the family to Atlanta, where Denise spent the month filming a Tyler Perry film. They celebrated her birthday, visited the Georgia Aquarium, and made the trip back to LA together, looking every bit the happy family. Pre-Charlie and Denise, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis were Hollywood's coparenting couple to emulate. Is this trend amongst divorced celeb couples unrealistic or unhealthy? We want to hear what you think - take our poll here!


Related Content:
5 Books That Help Explain Divorce to Kids
Are You Anti-Marriage?
The Divorce Stories That Inspired the Movie Monogamy


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