FitSugar

Get in Gear: Must Have Gadget for Hiking

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 04:00:00 PDT

Seriously, sometimes I think I am MacGyver. Especially when I am out in the woods on a hike but the truth is that while I love the occasional hike in the woods (or along the coastline) I am no outdoorsy guru.

That being said, I like to feel prepared at all times, especially when playing in the great outdoors. Many day hikes may not require the AdventurePlus ($20.00), but it never hurts to be prepared, now does it? This one little gadget includes a compass, a mirror, a magnifying glass, a whistle, a thermometer, a flashlight and a tiny little compartment to keep things (like matches) dry. Buy it online from Highgear.com.

Hiking will be even more fun now that you're prepared to take on any situation so you can concentrate on getting that heart rate going. Now all you need is a good trail to explore -- Check out this listing of free trails.

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Linguine With Sea Urchin and Caviar

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:01:25 PST

Sea urchin is often a polarizing ingredient. Yoo Eatz encourages us to muster some courage and embrace this culinary adventure in the form of pasta.

What's so gross about sea urchin? Even some of the most adventurous eaters I know will make the most horrific faces when the topic comes up.

I asked my husband about this - he generally recoils when I suggest that we share a pair of nigiri at the sushi bar - and he offered that it's a textural thing. Some people say it resembles phlegm (or worse), and I heard one person characterize the briny bits as "little orange tongues" (although, let's face it: the truth of what uni is may actually be harder to stomach!). But a lot of these same people will tell me that the flavor doesn't bother them; in fact, they find it quite pleasant.

For more, plus a recipe, keep reading!

Announcing the 2012 Oscar Nominations!

Shannon Vestal — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:21:53 PST

The 2012 Oscar nominations have been announced! Lots of award season regulars, like The Artist and The Descendants, got some love, but there were also a handful of surprises, like nominations for Nick Nolte, Gary Oldman, and Terrence Malick. Bridesmaids also scored big, with noms for best original screenplay and best supporting actress for Melissa McCarthy.

The Academy chose nine films for best picture, with lots of familiar titles in there, plus a couple that had early awards buzz but haven't necessarily had consistent attention, like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Tree of Life. The films that racked up the most nominations were Hugo with 11 and The Artist with 10.

To see the full list of nominations, just keep reading.

Tori Spelling Takes Us on Her Christmas Tree Adventure

Tori Spelling — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:28:58 PST

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her adventure in cutting down her own Christmas tree.

I love the holidays. To me, Christmas is a time to celebrate with my family and DIY the heck out of my house! We all know the Christmas tree is the focal point of any holiday home decor. I've done the pre-cut tree, lot tree, and the planted in a pot living tree, so this year I was determined to do the unthinkable in Los Angeles (or so I thought)...cut down my own Christmas tree!

Growing up in La la land, you tend to believe that trees come perfectly flocked and grouped together, pre-cut on a corner lot in Beverly Hills with a whopping price tag of $150 plus. I wanted out of that illusion, but never thought it was possible. Well, this year I did research and found an actual Christmas tree farm just 40 minutes outside of LA! Dean was participating in a celebrity charity golfing tournament, but the excited kid in me couldn't wait to cut down our tree, so I packed up the kids and headed to the farm.

When we arrived we weren't given much direction. We were told to grab saws . . . a cart . . . and head up the hill!

As we headed up and over the hill into miles of Christmas trees, I might have wondered . . . was this smart?

There were literally miles of trees of all shapes and sizes. So many worked, but none were perfect.

Forty-five minutes later, as the sun was just starting to set and I realized we were all alone amidst hundreds of trees, I thought to myself . . . is this safe? I reassured myself with the realization that no one would, in good conscience, harm a saw-wielding woman and her two toddlers cutting down their own Christmas tree weeks before the holiest day of the year. Then, not at all reassured by that realization, I closed my eyes and quickly pointed to the first tree in front of me and squealed, "Look kids, the perfect tree!" Was it perfect? No. However it did have only one major bald spot, which was a win-win, as it was surrounded by miles of misshaped firs. We had a winner!

Keep reading for more details and photos of Tori's adventure cutting down her own tree!

15 Days of Holiday Giveaways, Day 12: Win an Xbox 360 Kinect Prize Package

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:14:54 PST

It's the holiday season, and we're getting in the spirit with our third annual 15 Days of Holiday Giveaways! Every day for the first 15 days of December, one of the PopSugar Network sites - plus our sister sites PopSugar Shop, Fashionologie, and ShopStyle - will feature a new fabulous giveaway.

For our 12th day of holiday giveaways, we are giving away two Xbox 360 prize packages filled with an Xbox 360 4GB Kinect Holiday Bundle, an Xbox LIVE 12-month Gold Membership, and four games: Dance Central 2, Kinect Sports: Season Two, Forza Motorsport 4, and Kinect: Disneyland Adventures. There are two chances to win this ultimate Xbox 360 prize package, enter now!

This giveaway has ended.

After you enter our giveaway above, don't forget to enter BuzzSugar's giveaway of a year of movie tickets for you and a friend from MovieTickets.com, BellaSugar's giveaway of $2,000 to Saks Fifth Avenue, and Fashionologie's giveaway of a $1,000 shopping spree to Theory. Good luck and happy holidays!

The Sitter Review: 5 Similar Movies You're Better Off Watching

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:00:00 PST

The Sitter may be inspired by Adventures in Babysitting, but it's certainly not an improvement on the 1987 classic. The plot is very similar: a babysitter and three kids set out on a simple mission to get something, and along the way, they get mixed up with a bad guy and have to have it all resolved in time to get the children in bed. But a recycled plot is not the only thing that's unoriginal about The Sitter - the movie feels cobbled together with parts of other, funnier films. To save you a trip to the theater, I've named five movies below that share elements with The Sitter - but are far better - that you should watch instead.

Superbad: Noah is the exact same character that Jonah Hill played in Superbad: horny, self-centered, and obnoxious but witty. Even if you're a Hill fan, there's no reason to go out of your way to see him doling out the same shtick. Just watch the far superior Superbad to get your comedy fix.
Go: Sam Rockwell plays the crazy drug dealer that Noah is indebted to after one of his charges accidentally steals drugs from him. While Rockwell is one of my favorite actors, when it comes to attractive but dangerous movie drug dealers who want their money back, Timothy Olyphant has the market cornered in Go as Todd. He has far more dimension than Rockwell's character, and he manages to be threatening in a Santa hat, no less.
Uncle Buck: Unlikely male mentor? Check. Three precocious charges? Check. John Candy is the ultimate man babysitter in this 1989 comedy. It's believable that Buck has formed actual meaningful relationships with his nieces and nephew, whereas in The Sitter, the kids' issues are shoehorned in, and we're supposed to buy the fact that Noah solves each of their problems in one single night.

See the rest of the movies after the break.

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

BuzzSugar — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:05:00 PDT

Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans stars as Steve Rogers, a weakling who participates in a government experiment that transforms him into super soldier Captain America. Armed with his newfound powers, he fights on behalf of the US Army to stop German forces - all while finding the time to romance soldier Peggy Carter (Haley Atwell). The film has all the perks of a superhero movie, like intense fight and chase scenes, plus a relatable story about an underdog that's touching without being sappy. DVD extras include deleted scenes and featurettes, including a behind-the-scenes look at Chris Evans's transformation into a superhero.

78%

Father of Invention

After serving a prison sentence for selling an exercise product that caused bodily harm, inventor and infomercial personality Robert Axle (Kevin Spacey) finds his once foolproof pitches are out of step with the latest technology. He struggles to rebuild his fortune hawking his latest product, all while trying to reconnect with his ex-wife Lorraine (Virginia Madsen) and daughter Claire (Camilla Belle). While Spacey gives a good performance, the movie misses a lot of comedic opportunities. The DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette about the making of the film.

See one more DVD release when you keep reading

Happy Feet 2 Trailer: These Dancing Penguins Will Melt Your Heart

Shannon Vestal — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 05:30:00 PDT

Even if you're not usually charmed by previews for animated family films, I still encourage you to watch the trailer for Happy Feet 2. It somehow manages to improve upon the ridiculously cute bringing-fluffy-back first teaser, and now we have Mumble (voiced by Elijah Wood) all grown up with his own penguin babies, and he's trying to get them to love dancing as much as their dear old dad. Cue a huge dance number to "Rhythm Nation" and some highly adorable baby penguins busting a move.

Plot wise, the animals' land suffers from a break in the ice that strands them on a block, but before you start to worry too much about them, "Papa Oom Mow Mow" comes on and you know that everything is going to be fine. And it is more than fine, especially with the added bonus of Matt Damon and Brad Pitt as a pair of adventure and meal-seeking krill. Other notable voices in the cast include Robin Williams, plus Sofia Vergara, Pink, and Hank Azaria. No one is too cool to love this trailer, so watch it when you keep reading.

What Kate Gosselin Can Teach Us About Raising a Large Family

LilSugar — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:31:52 PDT

For seven seasons, we've watched the famous Gosselin multiples grow up while their parents, Jon and Kate, became tabloid regulars. After a controversial season, filled with conflicts, TLC has called it quits with the Gosselins, and the Kate Plus Eight finale will air this evening. Kate has received her share of negative press over the years, but everyone has shortcomings - especially when faced with a challenge like raising eight children. While we might not agree with all of Kate's parenting techniques, her example of raising a big family, has taught us a few important lessons. Here are five:

Marriage and parenting is a partnership, not a dictatorship. Just as you tell your children not to be bossy, it's important to listen to your husband and know when to control a situation and when to let something go. Kate often struggled to give her husband control of even the smallest decisions like what the kids could wear for their daddy day out. It's always better to work together in the interest of the kids rather than your own personal preferences.
Don't shun help. Even as a stay-at-home mom, sometimes extra help is needed, even if it's for a few hours a week. All moms need a little R&R to recharge.
Expect the unexpected. Being prepared with all sorts of ammo will keep you one step ahead of the curve. Keep an emergency supply kit with extra clothing, diapers, snacks, and more in your car at all times.
Kids enjoy adventures, but they also can be easily amused by little things too. Kate once entertained the whole crew by passing around a tiny plastic shark that she found in her bedroom. The kids loved passing it quietly around to each other, and after everyone had delighted in the surprise, Kate asked them to yell what it was all at once.
No parent is perfect. Despite all the drama, the press, the split, and being on a reality TV show, Kate and Jon have raised eight intelligent, happy, normal, and pretty well behaved children. No parent is perfect, but Kate shows her love the best by providing her kids with a comfortable life, educational experiences, and college savings.

How do you feel about Kate Gosselin's parenting technique? What lessons has she taught you about parenting? And are you sad to see her go?

Su Casa: A Master Bedroom Makeover

Casa Community — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:40:00 PDT

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member YBandD from the Su Casa group:

Last time there were adventures in Zero VOC paint, and this time it's adventures in spray paint; I know, classy huh!

The new bedroom at the beach rental is finally coming along. I officially still hate moving, however, I am loving my sweet new office slash sunroom slash all-around chill-out space with “peekaboo” views of the ocean (peekaboo meaning there are a few houses pretty much blocking my entire view of the ocean except for that small sliver of blue). But, I really can’t complain, now can I?

Once I got all my furniture in, I quickly assessed the new space. The main difference is this room has a lot more windows to deal with than my previous room, plus sliding glass doors separating the bedroom from the office. The window above the bed is also not centered on anything in the room, making it difficult to achieve any semblance of balance.

The new gray coat of paint looks oh so cozy with the furniture in. I decided to drape the glass doors at the opening between the office and the bedroom. The drapery softens the opening and is also functional, so that I can keep all the blinds raised in the sunroom on a permanent basis. I also draped the off-center window at the bed head wall with one panel to play up on the asymmetry. After a quick trip to Target, I found these modern, almost Chinese lattice-framed mirrors. The mirrors would reflect light, which actually could start to balance with the light coming in from the window. However, they were a faux sponge painted bronze color, which is not exactly what I had in mind. Insert adventures in spray paint, Take One, here.

Continue reading to hear more about how Kelly updated her bedroom!