FitSugar

Speak Up: Are You Surprised by the Sweet Surprise Ads?

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:00:00 PDT

The Corn Refiners Association is fighting back. They are sick and tired of their favorite ingredient high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) being maligned by the liberal press. They have hired a PR agent and an ad team to teach you that HFCS is not only good for you, it is natural as well. The first time I saw this ad, my jaw dropped to the floor. This over simplification of this very processed sweetener was quite a shock to me.

I guess you can tell how I feel about these ads, but what about you. Tell me, are you surprised by these ads? Do they confuse you? Anger you? Entertain you? Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

If you want to see the Sweet Surprise print ad and another TV commercial, then just

10 Gift Ideas For a Geeky Groom

Laura Marie Given — Tue, 29 May 2012 03:33:01 PDT

Traditionally, the bride and groom share gifts to celebrate their marriage - and for those of you who plan to marry a fellow geek, we've gathered some original, thoughtful present ideas to help you check off one more to-do. Here are 10 creative options for your geeky groom, whether he's a lifelong gaming nerd or an enthusiastic amateur photographer:

Signed paraphernalia: Whether it's a movie poster for a film he's seen a hundred times (ahem, Star Wars) or the jacket of a book by his favorite author (Douglas Adams perhaps?), a signed item can make for a personal, unexpected gift he may not think to buy himself.
High-tech fitness gear: If your groom likes to stay fit, give the Nike+ Fuelband ($149) to help him monitor his fitness. Even better? He'll love the competitive challenge that comes from the system's gamelike point system.
Photography software: The latest Photoshop package might not seem like the most romantic gift option, but it's a product he'll use again and again. Plus what better way to ensure the most gorgeous honeymoon photos?
Computer accessories: From cool wireless equipment to handy photo printers, new computer tools are a practical idea for a groom that's always glued to his laptop.

Keep reading for more creative gift ideas for the groom.

Moonrise Kingdom: A Retro Delight

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:00:00 PDT

Everything about Moonrise Kingdom is unmistakably Wes Anderson: the hazy cinematography, the clever dialogue, and even the use of the director's favorite actors. Indeed, Anderson isn't leaving his comfort zone as a filmmaker, but Moonrise Kingdom is still a pleasure to watch. Set in 1965, the movie tells the story of Sam and Suzy (newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward), preteen pen pals who conspire to run away together. As they set up camp all over an island off the coast of New England, they're being pursued by Sam's scout troop (led by camp counselor Edward Norton), Suzy's parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), and different authorities (Bruce Willis and Tilda Swinton). Sam and Suzy's experience with young love is sweet and complicated, and made all the more dreamy through Anderson's lens.

The elements might be familiar, but Anderson proves why he's such an admired director with a film like this. It's surprisingly romantic, but there's also a real threat to Sam and Suzy in the wild. Their compelling journey paired with the optical treat of Anderson's style makes Moonrise Kingdom a must-watch for fans of the distinctive director. To find out what else I liked about the film, just keep reading.

Glee-ful Highlights From Season Finale "Goodbye"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:40 PDT

We say goodbye to McKinley High's graduating class of 2012 on this week's season finale of Glee, and while we'll be seeing a lot of these characters next year, for some, it was their swan song (pardon the pun). Everyone is feeling nostalgic, not the least of whom is Mr. Schue, who gives the kids an assignment of picking a goodbye song. The episode is mostly devoted to the characters giving each other touching send-offs, which made me feel sentimental too.

There's a pretty big development at the end of the episode that I was expecting, but it surprised me by how bittersweet it actually is. Ready to break down the highlights of the Glee season finale? Just keep reading.

In Season: Cherimoyas

Sara Yoo — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:07:06 PDT

Don't be fooled by the cherimoya: though this fruit resembles a tiny dragon curled up for a nap, it's quite the opposite from a sour-tempered, fire-breathing reptile. With a texture that resembles custard or ice cream, the cherimoya surprises with a sweet flavor that tasters liken to a blend of bananas, pineapple, papaya, and strawberry. And fortunately for us, it's in season for another few weeks. To learn more about how to prepare this produce curiosity, just read on.

Barbecue Food Breakdown

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 19 May 2012 19:26:45 PDT

Warmer weather means firing up the grills! But before you eat every single thing on the menu, know the nutritional info of basic barbecue fare. Oh, and don't forget how many calories condiments can add - the numbers may surprise you.

	Calories	Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Hamburger bun	120	2	0	180	22	1	5
Hamburger patty with bun, no fixings	439	24.2	106	267	22	1	32.7
Cheeseburger with bun, no fixings	509	29.2	126	537	24	1	36.7
Fixings (2 Romaine lettuce leaves, 1 thick slice tomato, and 1 tbsp ketchup)	34	.2	0	165	7.6	1.4	.9
Cheeseburger with bun and fixings	543	29.4	126	702	31.6	2.4	37.6
Veggie burger (Boca Original) with bun, no fixings	220	3	0	570	30	6	26

Find out the info for grilled sausages, hot dogs, and chicken after the break.

A Texan Take on Blueberry Muffins

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:00:56 PDT

As a food enthusiast growing up in Texas, it was blueberry muffins for breakfast and cornbread for dinner. I always wondered what would happen if the two collided - which is why I created this a rich, buttery cornbread muffin oozing with fresh blueberries. It's subtly sweet and surprisingly light on the palate. With a sour pungency from the Greek yogurt and a bright, floral flavor from the lemon zest and honey, the flavors are perfectly balanced and complex, making this one delightful love child of two Texan quick bread recipes. Try the cornbread muffin recipe here.

What to Expect When You're Expecting: Brings a Surprising Amount of Belly Laughs

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 18 May 2012 02:00:00 PDT

Ever since Love Actually captured hearts and audiences with its huge cast and sweet intersecting story lines, there's been an overflow of ensemble comedies, and fatigue has officially set in. There are usually too many characters and subplots, and while What to Expect When You're Expecting does have a star-studded cast and a lot going on, it's funnier and more engrossing than most of the movies in the genre.

The characters are all dealing with some aspect of parenthood: there's Cameron Diaz as Jules, a trainer on a Biggest Loser-like show who gets pregnant by her dancing partner (Matthew Morrison) from a Dancing With the Stars-like show. There's Holly and Alex (Jennifer Lopez and Rodrigo Santoro), a couple who resorts to adoption, while Rosie and Marco (Anna Kendrick and Chace Crawford) have a fling that leads to her pregnancy. Elizabeth Banks plays Wendy, a woman who's grateful to finally be expecting but is disappointed when she feels more gross than glowy, and in contrast, her younger mother-in-law (Brooklyn Decker) is having the most effortless pregnancy in history. Sure, it's way too perfect that everyone conceives their children around the same time, but the movie is filled with enough humor and warmth to compensate. To find out what else I thought about What to Expect When You're Expecting, just keep reading.

Glee-ful Highlights From Episodes "Props" and "Nationals"

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:00:18 PDT

It's a Glee double whammy this week as the New Directions prep for, and then head to Nationals! As we've seen at the end of each season, emotions are running high, as the kids get ready to take on Vocal Adrenaline. The stakes are even higher this year since a lot of the seniors are graduating, and there's one gleek in particular who's feeling a little left out.

Season three has not been my favorite, but both of this week's episodes won me over in a big way. The first hour is both funny and poignant, while the second is very sweet and sentimental, as we get ready to say goodbye to some of the core cast members. The night definitely brings back memories from the first season when the show took the world by storm, and reminded me why I fell in love with it in the first place. Let's break down the highlights when you

I'm glad Tina finally gets a little time to shine, though it's a bit awkward that the opening voice-over is all about how the show has essentially ignored her for the first three seasons. Still, it's a nice break, and the sweet moments between Rachel and Tina feel authentic and are fun to watch, particularly when Tina offers to take Rachel on a road trip to see Carmen Thibedeau. And though it's not my favorite number of the night, I love that Rachel gives Tina her wish to duet on "What a Feeling."
Just because it needs to be mentioned: Kurt and Blaine's Halloween costumes as Snooki and the Situation. Amazing.
OK, the switcheroo moment was everything I hoped it would be and more. Though the sneak peek pictures gave away who would become who during Tina's dream, it's still amazing to see the kids all mixed up: particularly Artie as Santana. Genius. My head continued exploding throughout the entire sequence, especially seeing the reaction shots to Tina's rendition of "Because You Loved Me" (Mr. Schue's impression of Sue is spot-on). Speaking of which, Tina totally kills the song: are we getting a preview of what Glee might be like next season?
Coach Beiste has had to do some emotional heavy lifting lately, but this is one of the few times we see Puck truly vulnerable. His feelings of inadequacy about his future come to a head when one of the bullies at school challenges him to a fight in the schoolyard. After Beiste breaks it up, Puck breaks down in tears about feeling like garbage, and he and Beiste comfort each other in a truly touching moment. What's even better is that Beiste proceeds to dump Cooter, and she and Puck sing a sweet duet of Taylor Swift's "Mean." (Honestly I'm surprised it's taken Glee this long to get that song).
I love all the throwbacks to the first season in this episode; there's talk of Tina's first audition, some reminiscing about Puck's days tossing kids in dumpsters, and even an utterance of the Glee-patented insult "lima loser." Those were the days.
How is it possible that the New Directions are, yet again, about to perform at Nationals and they're still trying to slap together the routine just hours beforehand? It's no wonder they're all on edge, but at least they aren't trying to write their own songs this time around.
I can't even talk about how much I loved every one of the New Directions' performances at Nationals; this is by far and away my favorite performance episode. I had chills during "The Edge of Glory," which turned into goose bumps for "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." But the real kicker is "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" - the number is mesmerizing, and I felt proud of how far they've come. I can't remember the last time I was so caught up the performances of this show. They absolutely nailed it.
As for Vocal Adrenaline, well, they certainly bring the theatrics. I'm a fan of Unique's, but something about their numbers lacked energy. But maybe that's because the dudes were so tired from picking up the girls repeatedly and pushing those heavy-looking pinball machines around?
Giving Unique the suddenly existent MVP award is a nice consolation when the New Directions win the grand prize. I do kind of wish they'd give up the celebrity judges' shtick though. No offense to Lindsay Lohan, but getting a peek inside the self-involved judges' room used to be funny but now it just feels stale.
The scene where we get to watch the New Directions celebrating their victory feels like three years coming, and it actually could have been a very fitting end to the series as a whole. The kids are about to graduate and move away, and now they've finally got the biggest trophy in all the land. Hell, they even let Will and Emma finally do it (though did that really need to be shoehorned in with the confetti?). The icing on the cake, of course, is Mr. Schuester's Teacher of the Year award and the performance of "We Are the Champions." A perfect end to a great episode.

With only one more episode to go, it all culminates with next week's graduation episode. Were you touched by this episode like I was? What'd you think of the New Directions' showing at Nationals?

Photo courtesy of Fox

See Kate Middleton's Chic Updo From All Angles

Jessica Cruel — Mon, 14 May 2012 09:46:00 PDT

See Kate Middleton's updo from all angles - HuffPost Style
The far-out looks from The Makeup Show (body art included) - Styleite
The product you should steal from your grandmother's vanity - Stylelist
Four new ways to style an updo classic: the bun - Refinery 29
Grace Coddington remembers her days as Vidal Sassoon's muse - The Cut
Heidi Klum speaks on her days with a perm - Racked
Five monolid makeup tips - Makeup and Beauty Blog
Makeup essentials for beautiful lashes, brows, and lids - Real Simple
Va va voom: these hair products are full of good surprises - InStyle
Contour your face in five easy steps - Beauty Sweet Spot