FitSugar

Miley Cyrus to Wake in Teen Thriller

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 10:30:13 PDT

Miley Cyrus is taking one more step away from Hannah Montana with her burgeoning movie career. This time, she'll go from teen queen to scream queen. Cyrus is set to star in Wake, a thriller based on the young adult novel by Lisa McMann.

McMann's series centers on Janie (Cyrus), a teen who has the ability to enter the dreams and nightmares of others, where she's forced to face problems and help right them. And yes, I did say series - McMann's sequels to Wake have also been optioned for film, meaning that Miley may be looking at a franchise for herself.

Oh, and don't be too scared for the young actress and her horror venture - she also scored a leading man in her upcoming movie with Demi Moore, LOL: British actor Douglas Booth.

Ride the Wake: Wakeboarding

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 09:30:00 PDT

Wakeboarding is like snowboarding on water. If you have experience with surfing, water skiing, snowboarding, or skateboarding, you'll have to try wakeboarding. It's one of those sports that you can really get into if you like to work on cool tricks. Why is it called "wakeboarding?" The wake is the wave that the motorboat's engine kicks up behind the boat as the boat moves forward. It's a little rockier than still lake water, and that's what makes it fun to ride.

Basically it's a lot like water skiing, where a rider gets towed behind a motorboat, but instead of facing forward, the rider is sideways. This is a little bit obvious because of its name, but another major difference is you ride on a board not a pair of skis. This makes doing flips and spins easier since both your feet are attached to the board (instead of being separated on 2 skis). People don't really do tricks on water skis unless they're using trick skis that are shorter and have no fins.

All you need is a big open lake, a motorboat, a life jacket, a tow line (the rope you hold onto), a wakeboard, a driver, and someone else in the boat to watch the rider. This person's job is very important - they let the driver know if the rider has let go of the tow line, and point out where they are floating in the water (sometimes it's tough to see the bobbing person).

You don't have to have any water skiing experience in order to wakeboard, just like you don't have to ski before you snowboard. I definitely recommend taking a lesson so you can learn some basic skills, like getting up since this can be the hardest part. Like with everything, practice is the key.

You've got to check out this video of a woman using a trampoline to practice her wakeboard tricks, so

Source

NightCove: Sleep Don't Come Cheap

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 02:00:00 PST

I want a good night's sleep just as much as anyone, so when I saw this clock designed by French company Zyken - I was all ears.

It's called the NightCove. It's a clock which promises to promote healthful sleeping with ambient lighting - it's scientifically proven to increase energy levels and lucidity in the morning and result in a better night's sleep overall.

The clock uses LEDs to control the wavelengths, intensity, and variations of light, which affect the brain's production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep-wake cycles.

With programmable modes for falling asleep, napping and waking, the NightCove uses colors to mimic dawn and dusk guiding users in and out of wakefulness.

Other features include connectivity options for integrating the light-clock with other components like mp3 players, computers, lighting and the ability to synchronize with another NightCove clock (they encourage you to buy two - one for you, and one for your honey).

They don't come cheap though. At $2300 a pop, I can think of a ton of other, cheaper ways to catch my zzzzzs.

Announcing the 2012 Grammy Award Winners

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:20:23 PST

The mood of the Grammy Awards was a bit somber this year in the wake of Whitney Houston's shocking death, but the show went on, and the statues were all handed out to the winners. Adele owned the night, picking up multiple awards, including those for record of the year, album of the year, and song of the year.

Plenty of other folks received Grammys too, including Kanye West, The Foo Fighters, and Taylor Swift, so to see the full list of winners, just keep reading.

The Vow: Channing Tatum Is More Memorable Than the Romance

Becky Kirsch — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:30:00 PST

It's no accident that The Vow's release date coincides almost perfectly with Valentine's Day. The film promises the kind of epic love story that many of us, like it or not, are more amenable to getting swept up in at this time of year: a man tries to make his wife fall in love with him again after a horrific accident leaves her with no memory of the last four years, or of him. Channing Tatum is endearing as Leo and though he has chemistry with Rachel McAdams's Paige, it almost goes to waste due to the film's lack of focus and uneven plot.

For starters, having a stranger for a husband is just the beginning of Paige's problems. Sometime in the four years she's lost, she went from being a preppy law student to a free-spirited artist. Naturally, when she wakes up, she wants an explanation for why she doesn't talk to her family anymore, what happened to her pretty boy fiancé (Scott Speedman), and why her hair is so "weird." It's understandable that she's a little different from who she used to be, but a complete life transformation is a bit hard to swallow - both for Paige, and for the audience.

To see why The Vow may not be the love story you're expecting, just

read more. Watching Tatum and McAdams play off each other is what keeps the movie engaging, and Tatum is particularly sympathetic. Though Paige is the one who has suffered the trauma, it's even more difficult to watch Leo quietly suffer as the love of his life continues to slip away in favor of the life she actually remembers. Leo represents a life that the new Paige is enticed by but can't imagine: he's goofy, laid-back, and immensely committed to her. But Paige can't come to terms with a life she doesn't feel part of, and instead reverts back to her former self. The sincerity and sweetness that Tatum brings to Leo are reflected in flashbacks of his life with Paige and in his current attempts to win her back, but the film isn't the epic romance that it's packaged to be. In fact, it's more depressing than it is joyful; not only are most of the characters in pain throughout the film, but with the exception of Leo, most of them are downright irritating. Paige's family and friends couldn't be more stereotypically conservative, which only makes Paige's decision to stay with them all the more frustrating to watch. As the film goes on, the love story starts to take the backseat to her family issues, and the crux of the film rests on a subplot that's both lame and contrived. The Vow is certainly watchable, thanks to the intrigue of the premise, and the mystery of how Leo and Paige will (inevitably, of course) find their way back to each other. But the film tries too hard to manufacture extra drama out of Paige's memory loss, when all the audience really wants to see is a love story to get swept up in.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures

Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Morning Workout

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:50:47 PST

If you work or go to school full time, getting your sweat on in the wee hours of the morn is probably the only time you can fit it in. Kudos to you for resisting the urge to hit the snooze button and skip out. Make setting your alarm and pulling yourself out of bed worth all the effort and avoid these morning exercise mistakes.

Not eating: It's super early, but you need to eat in order to fuel your workout. Munch on something small while you're getting ready, like half a banana or half a piece of toast with a little peanut butter. You'll not only avoid the gnawing hunger pangs, but you'll also have an extra pep in your step to exercise harder or longer than you would on an empty stomach. When you get home, you can enjoy your usual breakfast, which is always something to look forward to.
Loading up on fiber: While it's important to eat a little something, you don't want to load up on bulky fiber that can make you feel too full or upset your stomach.
Not hydrating: Aside from food, you also need water. Definitely don't down half a gallon before you hit the gym because too much water can cause cramping, but make sure you sip a short glass of H2O while enjoying your small snack.
Not laying your outfit out the night before: You don't have oodles of time in the morning, so don't take away from your exercise time by scrambling to find your missing sock. Plan your outfit before you go to bed so you can just slip it on and go.

Keep reading for more morning exercise mistakes to avoid.

In Defense of the Chronically Late Mom

BabyCenter — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:01:11 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about being late for school.

If I were to wear a scarlet letter it would be T.

T for tardy. T for turd ball. T for totally inept mother.

We are late for school with such alarming regularity it’s embarrassing. The last time we were on time, after a mini snowstorm that excited my children enough to urge them into their snowsuits and outside at 6:30 a.m., we got to school five minutes early to find it dark and empty. Delayed opening. I was apparently the only mother who didn’t get the memo.

Calling Charlie Brown…

Being late for school brings up a vicious brew of conflicting emotion in me. On the one hand I just don’t care. Life is short. Far too short to risk traumatizing your children with a bullwhip and terrorizing morning walkers and squirrels, not to mention my own white-knuckled children, speeding our way to school like Toad on a motorcar bender each weekday morning.

On the other hand I am ashamed, deeply embarrassed, to be “that mom.” All the other moms can do it, even the single ones. Why. Can’t. I? What’s wrong with me?

I complained about this once to a woman from South Carolina who I met on my Guatemala trip and she told me her school started at 7:30. She also made it clear her kids were never late.

Never late.

Keep reading for more of Betsy's reasoning for being late.

Team Zoe's Joey Maalouf Answers Your Most Hair-Raising Questions

Jaime Richards — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

You've learned how he creates Rachel Zoe's signature beachy waves, and you've likely admired his other work from afar (Jessica Alba's soft and pretty Golden Globes makeup, anyone?). And most recently, celebrity stylist Joey Maalouf has signed on as a beauty advisor for Slim Fast's Studio Wow! campaign, which he explains, is a way to help people be at their most confident for a big, upcoming life event.

"You know, there's no one big step that does it; it's a lot of little steps," Joey says. "First the tricks of dieting, then you start to think about your external look: styling, hair and makeup. I love making people feel like they can just do it at home - and they can," Joey adds. And that's why he's answering your most hair-raising questions. From keeping curls bouncy to Spring 2012's hottest trends, see Joey's expert advice on how you can wow the crowd when you read more.

Earn More Money By Changing Up Your Office Space

LearnVest — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:15:07 PST

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

Most of us spend about 40 hours per week at work - in other words, the majority of our waking hours.

And nearly all of those hours are spent sitting at our desks. It’s a definite problem - and not just because we’re missing happy hour or quality couch time at home.

There’s no shortage of discouraging research pointing out the evils of a sedentary lifestyle and claiming that sitting will actually shorten our lives.

But, conversely, making a few tweaks to the way you sit - and the space you sit in - all day has been proven to make you a happier, healthier worker, busy earning your killer salary.

And, scientists say, the happier you are, the more you tend to earn.

In an effort to make the time spent at our desks as productive (and as profitable) as possible, we’ve combed the research for the easiest, most effective tips to soothe your mind and body when trapped in a cubicle . . . or corner office.

Just follow these four steps.

1. Make It Comfy

When we say “comfy,” we mean “ergonomic.” It’s an unfriendly word for a friendly concept: basically it means “intended to provide optimum comfort and to avoid stress or injury.” Friendly, right? Besides, an awkward workspace can lead to major health issues, including disorders in your joints or tendons, so a little tweaking of your cubicle can go a long way for your well-being. Line up your body correctly by following these two principles:

Your feet should be flat on the floor and your elbows should be even with your desk. This can be achieved either through adjustable chairs or - if chairs are a hot commodity at your office - a combination of step stools and pillows.

Read on for more tips.

5 iPhone Alarm and Sleep Aid Apps For a Better Night's Rest

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:21:48 PST

The long nights and short days of Winter can really throw off a gal's sleep schedule. Waking up before the sunrise can prove to be an impossible task when snuggled up in a warm bed, and a jarring, noisy alarm can make it even harder to start your day. Thankfully, these apps for your iPhone can help you fall asleep faster and wake up without annoying sound effects.