FitSugar

geeksugar Gift Guide: Gadgets For Kids!

GeekSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:34 PST

Now that you've got some great gift ideas for Moms-to-Be, what about the little ones in your family? They are the ones that usually appreciate games and gadgets the most - and what are the holidays about without a little bit of play?

If you're wondering what's hot for kids this year, have a peek at my gift suggestions below!

For more gift ideas, don't forget to check out HolidaySugar.

Fisher-Price Smart Cycle $90	iCarly Digital Camcorder $80
Leapster L-Max Girl Handheld $60	On Tour for Nintendo DS $50
Bella Sara: Video Game For the DS $30	Wii Nerf Racing Wheel $15

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Smart Cycle: Kid Friendly or Are You Kidding?

LilSugar — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 08:00:08 PST

There's lots of buzz about The Fisher-Price Smart Cycle, a Physical Learning Arcade System which is supposed to be the hot toy this holiday season. Retailing for around $100, the stationary bike which connects to your television encourages kids to learn three different ways.

They can drive - pedal and steer to control the on screen action of collecting letters and numbers, learn - use the joystick to play arcade style games or race - race other on screen cars by pedaling. Targeted at children ages three through six, it supposedly teaches letters, numbers, counting, problem solving, shapes, matching, creativity, spatial reasoning, and motor skills. And, additional cartridges are available for an additional $20.

Would you buy this?

Fit Gift Guide: Healthy Toddler

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:00:00 PST

The gift giving holidays are just around the corner and to spare you some of the last minute shopping stress the Sugar sites are creating ever helpful gift guides.

Now, if you happen to be looking for a gift for a toddler, I have three suggestions that not only get the toddler moving but also gives her mom a few moments to breathe when the child is occupied. Here are three great ways to help a mommy out by encouraging health and fitness in her child, which we all know can be tough with a stubborn toddler ruling the household.

What a better way to get your toddler moving than the YogaKids 2: ABC by Gaiam. The DVD provides a nice introduction to yoga philosophy. It is a wonderful and physical way to hang out with your kids.
Hullabaloo gets kids thinking fast while bouncing, twisting, spinning, high-fiving, and even dancing. The Hullabaloo DVD Game celebrates animals from all over the world and provides hours and hours of play-along fun.
The Smart Cycle is a stationary bike, a learning center, and an arcade game system - all rolled into one! As your toddler pedals, her favorite character friends guide her through learning discoveries, games, and even exciting races.

Gaiam YogaKids 2: ABC's ($11)

Hullabaloo DVD Superpack ($25)

Smart Cycle ($100)

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Fixes For These 10 Money Mistakes

Business Insider — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:15:04 PDT

Everyone makes mistakes. Business Insider shares solutions for some common money mistakes people make.

Recently, two friends confessed they live check to check - a revelation worsened by the fact that they only check their bank balance once or twice a month.

We called in the finance experts, and here's what we decided they should do to get on track.

"I check my balance once . . . every two weeks."

The mistake: The more we rely on our debit cards, the easier is to go over budget - and risk having our bank misorder the charges to slap us with overdraft fees. It's the reason my friend keeps paying $39 for that Starbucks latte.

The fix: Get in the habit of checking your bank balance morning, noon, and night, says financial expert Farnoosh Torabi. "Rather than compartmentalizing into a once-a-month chore, make checking statements a habitual, daily thing."

"What, my bank offers an app?"

The mistake: Ignoring your balance can make you "forget" about incoming bills and checks waiting to clear, and not using your bank app is careless.

It also keeps you out of sync with your money, something you don't want to do in an era of rampant identity theft.

The fix: Download the app!

Read on for more.

5 Ways to Use Your Dishwasher More Efficiently

Business Insider — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:15:57 PDT

If you're not using your dishwasher efficiently, you're wasting money, energy, and water. Business Insider shares the right ways for you to use the dishwasher.

In leaner times, plenty of households boycotted energy-sucking appliances like dishwashers and went back to basics: manual scrubbers, a bottle of detergent, and a lot of elbow grease.

But is all that extra effort really helping us save in the long run?

In short, the answer is no.

That theory might have held water a few mini industrial revolutions ago, but technology has simply become so advanced that what was once considered a costly convenience has become vastly more affordable.

Cut Energy Costs This Summer by Taking a Cold Shower

In fact, research has shown hand-washing uses as much as 27 gallons of water and 2.5 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy, compared with just four gallons of water and 1.5 kWh used by a hyperefficient dishwasher.

The key word, of course, is "hyperefficient." Upgrading your home appliances to any of today's energy-efficient models could be one of the wisest ways to cut back on utility bills, especially for larger households. According to the EPA, choosing an Energy Star-rated dishwasher could shave as much as $40 off your utility bills and save 5,000 gallons of water.

Here's how to use your dishwasher right:

Never run a partial load. Fill that sucker to the max and only use those "intense" cycle settings if you really need them. They'll use far more energy and water than the normal settings.

Shop for soap wisely. Dishwasher detergents can contain harmful phosphates - chemicals that seep into the water system and hurt aquatic life after they've made their rounds in wastewater treatment plants. Search for phosphate-free brands (they shouldn't be hard to find, as many states have banned them from detergents anyway).

Read on for more.

5 Things to Do With Leftover Paint

Guest Writer — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:22:38 PDT

We're excited to present a post from guest writer, eco lifestyle expert, and all-around awesome guy Danny Seo. Today, he's here to offer some smart tips on how to use up the leftover housepaint you may be hoarding!

Of all the homes I've renovated, redecorated, and organized, if there is one thing that I see hoarded over and over again are cans of old paint. Stashed away in the hall closet, covered in dust in the garage, or hidden behind boxes in the basement, old paint is something we feel we have no choice but to hoard because we really have absolutely no idea what to do with it. In most communities, it's actually illegal to toss cans of paint in the household trash. And those rare collection days where you can drop it off with your household hazardous trash? Oversleep or miss it and you could face months (if not another year) of holding onto gallons of leftover primer.

Here are my top 5 ideas on what to do with leftover paint:

Stop overbuying. If you go into a paint store and guess-timate how much paint you need, most of us overbuy on purpose because we'd rather be safe than sorry when tackling the weekend paint job. The trick is to buy as close as possible to the exact amount you need. To do that, use an online paint calculator at Lowes.com that calculates the measurements of the room and tells you exactly how much paint - both primer and regular paint - down to the quart you'll need.
Save touch-up paint. Leftover paint should be saved for touch-ups when you need to repair dings and scratches on the wall. Leaving paint in their existing cans can be a recipe for disaster, since mold can grow inside and paint can easily go bad. Instead, repurpose air tight food containers for paint. Pour leftover paint inside the container, seal it closed with a tight fitting lid, and mark the outside in Sharpie pen what room it corresponds with. If you still have leftover paint, try this next tip . . .
Let it dry out. Leave cans of leftover unwanted paint open to air dry out. This can take a few days to a few weeks depending on the humidity and temperature it is outside. Leave them somewhere where children or wild animals can't get into them, like on a shelf in the garage. Once they are dry, the paint should pop out in a hard disc that can be safely tossed into the trash. The paint can itself can be added to your curbside recycling bin.

Make chalkboard paint. If you have lots of random cans of latex paint in a variety of colors, mix them all together in a large, clean bucket to make one uniform color. Add a few tablespoons of powdered grout (from the tile section at the home improvement store) and mix well. Voilà! Instant chalkboard paint.
Try FreeCycle. The Craiglist for free stuff connects people with unwanted stuff with people who need it. This is a last resort, but sometimes posting a notice that you have a few gallons of good quality leftover paint could attract someone to come claim it and use it. Offer to throw in some paint brushes, rollers, and a leftover tray or two, and you might incentivize it enough for someone to click reply and get your old paint stash.

Source: Flickr Users LOLren and Ben Demey

10 Gym Guy Stereotypes (and Why We Love Them)

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:46:08 PST

Almost everyone in the gym shows up to work for a goal, be it overall health, bulking up, losing weight, or increased power and flexibility. Of course, there are a million different fitness roads you can take to get there and watching others work it out can be fascinating and (occasionally) giggle inducing. Whether you're attracted to the average man or a more muscular build, you've undoubtedly checked out your fellow gym goers getting their groove on. Here's a guide to decoding the most common types of gym guys and what we can learn from them. That is, when you're not just ogling their form.

The Former Athlete: The rest of the team may be just as tall as him now, but he's still the big man on campus. He shows up sporting his college gear though his frat days are a distant memory. He watches the game on the TV while cycling or running, but is dedicated to his workout. What's to love? Men with years of workout experience just get better with age. They remind us to appreciate a challenge - be it an occasional marathon, game of pick me up, or Sunday soccer league. The healthiest way to relive your glory days is to keep them alive.
The "I Will Pump You Up" Dude: Mike "The Situation." Vin Diesel. Jake Gyllenhaal circa Prince of Persia. These buffed up boys sustain themselves with protein shakes and pump serious iron. Why do we love them? Whether you like the body or not, you have to hand it to muscle-minded men for understanding the importance of a well-rounded routine. It takes daily dedication to maintain a beefcake bod.
The Marathoner: These guys head to the gym to get sweaty and compete with themselves. They are focused, goal-oriented, and typically don't pay much attention to other gym goers. Why do we love them? Runners understand that stretching is crucial, as is working different muscle groups and maintaining a schedule. They also know it's smart to plan days off to let your muscles heal and keep your knees healthy.

Keep reading for the rest of the list.

10 Things You Do to Save Money That End Up Costing You More

Wise Bread — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:15:37 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Wise Bread story here on Savvy!

Have you heard of the expression “penny wise, pound foolish”? It’s something I heard a lot growing up, from my parents, and it can have multiple meanings:

You are very careful with small amounts of money, but throw caution to the wind with large amounts. This is akin to someone who eats from the dollar menu every day but then blows a hundred dollars every month on a gym membership that’s never used.
You do things to save money now, only to have those savings cost you more farther down the road.

The second definition is what I’m focusing on today, because it’s a lot easier to fall into the trap of saving money only to have it bite you later on. Here then are 10 things that you may be doing to save money that could actually cost you a lot more in the weeks, months, or years to come.

RELATED: The Case For Expensive Shoes

1. Avoiding Regular Checkups With the Doctor, Dentist, or Optician

It’s something I did in college when money was tight. “Aah, who needs to pay money to a dentist to have him tell me I should floss more?” Well, after leaving the dentist alone for a few years, I paid the price. Avoiding the regular cleanings and checkups left me facing a hefty bill later on when I needed a bunch of costly fillings. I was lucky that I didn’t need root canals or replacement teeth. Now I have a dental plan that covers free checkups twice a year, but even if you don’t, get to the dentist and doctor for health checks. It’s a lot better to pay a co-pay now than pay for major surgery later on. And worse still, it could even cost you your life, especially as so many conditions can be treated if they’re caught early enough.

Read on for more.

The LG Fridge That Will Help You Lose Weight

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:24:01 PST

LG's home appliance lineup will be getting a little geekier (and healthier) with new Smart Thinq technologies. In general, Smart Thinq connects your mobile device to your home appliances so you can monitor things like your laundry cycle and cooking times from anywhere, but new refrigerators may actually help you achieve your 2012 weight-loss goals with the inclusion of a feature called the Health Manager.

This feature will help you build a personal profile, then suggests recipes, daily and weekly meal plans, menus, and food selections based on age, gender, weight, height, and BMI. Dropping a few pounds gets even easier when you can select and send a shopping list to your phone, and send recipes to a LG Smart Oven, which will then automatically adjust cook settings. It's almost like having a digital butler . . . except you'll still have to prepare the food yourself. Bummer.

Stay tuned for pricing and release date information!

15 Smart Things You Can Do With $100

Business Insider — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:15:47 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

At first blush, $100 is only $100. It's so easy to fritter away on eating out, entertainment, or booking a trip online.

But you should never underestimate how far $100 can go, even in this economy.

"It's smarter to put that money away because once it's in your pocket, it's pretty much gone," says Joel Larsen, a certified financial planner based in Davis, Calif.

No matter where you are in your financial life, we've compiled 15 tips to help you stretch that Benjamin.

Open a college savings account

"A lot of people will say, 'it's only $100,'" says Larsen, but if you were to save $100 a month over 20 years at a 7% rate of return, you would amass $52,092.67. Impressive, right?

Depending on your financial picture, you'll need to shop around to find the right plan based on investment performances, expenses, and tax exemptions.

Andrew Schrage, founder of the personal finance site, Money Crashers, recommends looking into a 529 College Savings plan set up by governments or colleges to help parents save.

"One of the primary benefits of a 529 savings plan is that it offers tax protection from the federal government," he says. "Also, you may be eligible for tax protection from the state government."

Read on for more.