FabSugar

Wet n' Wild: Cut-Out One Pieces

FabSugar — Tue, 08 May 2007 13:55:11 PDT

For these I want you to envision yourself poolside in Palm Springs or the Hamptons - somewhere cool, calm and collected - not so much wet n' wild as Rio!. I have really come to appreciate cut-out one pieces over the years. Yes, they may create some of the funkiest tan lines but they are so Bond girl! Also, they are nice tummy hiders! I have a DKNY one that is neon green one shoulder with a side cut out & it really stands out amongst the crowd. I prefer these Bond girl suits in graphic prints or solids - let the peekaboo skin speak for itself.

Damsel Striped Cutaway One Piece, $88.

A couple more,

read more Armani Exchange Cut-Out Bathing Suit, $88.
Alloy polka dot cut out one piece, $44. Comes in more fun colors!

Craft of the Day: Decoupaged Tray

Stylelist Home — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:28 PST

I'm happy to present a post from Stylelist Home!

Trays are one of the most useful home accessories, so they make a great starting point for a mini-makeover. Exhibit A: This Craft Of The Day. You can lay the finished tray on the coffee table to contain remote controls, put it on the kitchen counter to catch house keys, or use it for a romantic breakfast in bed. Keep reading for the how-to!
What You'll Need

Unfinished wooden tray
Paint (wood-friendly)
Decorative paper
Paint brush
Mod Podge
X-acto knife
Ruler

How To Make It

Paint your tray. (You can leave the tray surface uncovered because that is where the decorative paper will go.)
Let the tray dry.
Measure the inside of your tray and cut the decorative paper down to size.
Cover the entire bottom of the tray in an even coat of Mod Podge.
Lay your decorative paper down. (It is easier to start from one side and press/smooth as you go, rather than drop the entire piece down at one time.)
Add a second layer of Mod Podge over the paper.
(Optional) Lay embellishments like monogram letters or strips of different paper (like the lime green pieces in the photo) down on the tray.
Apply one to two more layers of Mod Podge.
Let everything dry and you're done!

For the full photo tutorial, visit Prudent Baby. And, be sure to check out the other great crafts in our Craft Of The Day slideshow.

Save! 6 Handy Tips For Packing Work Lunches

Emily Co — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:54:21 PST

Bringing lunch to work every day sure does save more than a few bucks and keeps you healthy at the same time. It's such an easy everyday saving trick, and it's a great option for those trying to cut costs on their daily expenses. Here are a few tips that get me through the week.

Mental Meal Plan: What do you want to eat for the rest of the week? Give it some thought before you make a trip to the grocery store to buy some ingredients. For inspiration, flip through Yum's list of delicious work lunches. While you're grocery shopping, read our savvy tricks for saving money at the supermarket.
Prep on Sunday: Buy all the ingredients you need on Sunday so that you won't have to desperately scramble around the night before. If you're planning on making one dish that you'll be eating all week (such as soup), you can either keep it refrigerated or, depending on what type of dish it is, you can also choose to freeze it in five ziploc packets that you can ration out throughout the week.
Keep It Separate: If you want to keep your lunch fresh, try to keep the pieces separate and assemble it right before you're having lunch. This works best for meals such as salads and sandwiches - soggy bread and vegetables are not appetizing!

Read on for more tips.

4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Eating

Jenny Sugar — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:44:03 PST

Between meetings, appointments, work deadlines, errands, family obligations, and trips to the gym, our lives can be so busy that we fill our bellies with the quickest, easiest bites we can get our hands on. Whether your goal is to drop unwanted pounds or eat healthier, it's in your best interest to pause before you take your first bite and ask yourself these four important questions.

Am I hungry? Seems like a silly question, because you're eating, so you must be hungry, right? Many times we reach for food out of boredom, convenience (the bag of chips was open), depression (chocolate to drown your breakup sorrows), happiness (to celebrate a promotion), or desire (who could pass up the amazing brownies your co-worker brought in?). But if we recently ate, then we're not even hungry. Make sure you're due for a snack or meal before sitting down to eat one.

Is this food filling holes in my diet? We eat to live and that means the food we gobble down should offer our bodies the vitamins and nutrients it needs to function properly. Aside from being healthy, our daily diet should also be balanced. If you ate a high-protein breakfast of eggs and Greek yogurt topped with nuts, then for a morning snack, you probably want to eat something that offers your body something besides protein, such as fiber, potassium, or vitamin A. Think of each snack and meal as a piece of your daily diet puzzle; an opportunity to take in what your body is lacking.

Keep reading to find out the other two questions you should ask yourself before eating.

How Your Fridge Can Help You Lose Weight

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:32:54 PST

The LG fridge might have features to help you lose weight, but since it's not yet available (and its price tag is a bit steep), give the fridge you already own a little makeover. It can help you reach your 2012 weight loss goals with these tips.

Get Organized
Organizing your fridge will help you make healthier decisions when it comes to food, and being able to see all different ingredients might even inspire you to cook. A decluttered fridge also helps you keep track of staples so you never run out of healthy snacks like Greek yogurt or breakfast basics like eggs. Versatile plastic storage bins, like these from Crate and Barrel ($10 to $12), are clear and stackable, making it easy to see the array of healthy foods available at your fingertips.

Snack Center in the Fridge
Create a "snack center" in your fridge (one of those Crate and Barrel bins would be perfect for this), so you have a go-to spot to find healthy munchables when hunger strikes. Place the bin in front at eye level, and stock it with premade 150-calorie baggies of popcorn, cheese and crackers, trail mix, cereal, pretzels, fruit and nut bars, fruit leather, and other healthy faves.

Continue reading for more ways your fridge can help you lose weight.

Grillades and Grits: Get Your Brunch on!

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:00:06 PST

Grillades and grits are a trademark dish in New Orleans. If you can't make the trip to Nola, Food Orleans shows you how to recreate the experience in your own home.

If you've never had or heard of grillades and grits, then I apologize for not mentioning them earlier. They're one of the two most wonderful things to eat for brunch in New Orleans (shrimp and grits being the other). I've never been to anyplace in town for brunch that didn't offer one or both of these goodies. Grillades (gree'-awds) are made of beef, veal, or pork; I haven't encountered a rabbit version yet, but I won't be surprised when I do. The beef is a thin, flat cut of top round or chuck - something that can withstand a long, slow cooking. It simmers in a pot with the trinity (onion, celery, bell pepper), garlic, and a little jalapeno - not traditional, but I really like it - until the rich broth thickens and intensifies, so what you get is a powerfully flavored beef "stew" that is perfect over creamy cheese grits. This is a great Louisiana recipe to try if you're hankering for some thick, rich goodness but you don't feel up to stirring a roux, because you don't have to. The small amount of flour used in the browning of the beef will produce all the roux you need.

Read ahead for the grillades and grits recipe.

Cameron Diaz Flaunts Her Bikini Body and New Platinum 'Do

Allie Merriam — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:29:36 PST

Cameron Diaz wore a bikini yesterday for an afternoon at the beach in Hawaii. She was surrounded by friends for the outing, which reportedly included a stint swimming with dolphins! In addition to showing off her amazing physique in the L*SPACE two piece, Cameron also debuted a platinum blond hair color and new cut.

She's starting 2012 with a new look, and possibly a fresh start in her love life. Despite a rumored romance with Diddy following her end-of-year split from Alex Rodriguez, Cameron rang in Jan. 1 without the rapper. Diddy was one of the many celebrities partying on New Year's Eve, and he hosted a bash in Miami that brought out friends like Rihanna and Gayle King. Alex Rodriguez had his own star-studded party in Cabo, where he mingled with pal George Clooney. George and Alex have even more to talk about now that they're both dating former WWE stars; George is going strong with Stacy Keibler, while Alex is dating Torrie Wilson.

How to Create a Richer You in 2012

Guest Writer — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:05:15 PST

The following is a guest post by Kimberly Palmer, creator of The 2012 Money Planner and author of Generation Earn, available on Etsy. She is also the personal finance columnist at US News & World Report. Take it away, Kimberly!

The new year means a fresh slate-and new money goals for 2012. Whether publicly on a website such as 43things.com or privately in our own heads, many of us are brainstorming for how we can find greater financial success in 2012.

After interviewing dozens of finance gurus, goal experts, and ordinary people trying to get ahead, I’ve learned that one of the most important things you can do to create a richer life is simply to treat that project like any other. Dedicate time to it, define it, break it into smaller steps, and then slowly cross off your to-do list.

Many of us get caught up in that first step-defining just what we want our goals to be. As you brainstorm your own biggest money goals for the new year, here are some prompts to help:

8 Small Ways to Lose Big Pounds in 2012

Prevention — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:06:22 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Quadruple your weight loss by making one easy tweak to your routine per week
By Alyssa Shaffer

If your goal is to lose weight and exercise more, forget the deprivation diet and marathon workouts. New research shows that taking baby steps - not giant leaps -is the best way to get lasting results. A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices and/or physical activity each week (such as drinking one fewer can of soda or walking five more minutes each day) lost more than twice as much belly fat, two and half more inches off their waistlines, and about four times more weight during a four-month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines.

"When you focus on just a couple of small changes at a time, you begin to ingrain some healthy habits that last for a lifetime, rather than trying an all-or-nothing approach that more often than not fails because it's too hard to follow," says Lesley Lutes, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at East Carolina University. We've uncovered these simple steps (with proven results) to help you move more, eat less, and look and feel better than ever. Add just one or two a week to your regular routine and you can lose nearly three inches off your waistline and be about 10 pounds lighter come in a few months. Even better: Once these healthy habits become second nature, they'll benefit you for a lifetime.

1. Pick Up a Pen After Every Meal
Mindlessly munching on a bag of chips could result in easily polishing off the whole thing; write down how much you've eaten and you're more likely to practice portion control. Keeping a food log helps control extra calories in two ways: the combination of plain old reality check (I just ate 30 minutes ago!) and awareness that what you're putting in your mouth will soon be recorded for posterity. In a recent study, people who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. When they combined it with a moderate diet and exercise plan, they lost an average of 13 pounds in 6 months. Journaling also gives you insight on your eating habits, says Lutes. Do you skip meals? Eat the same during the week as on the weekend? Binge when you're feeling stressed? "Knowing your routine helps you figure out what changes are right for you," she adds.

Avoid these 14 "health food" diet disasters.

2. Limit High-Fat Foods to One Per Week
Tag the high-fat/high-calorie foods that are typically your favorites (our top five: cookies, candy, ice cream, potato chips, and fries) and gradually downshift. "If you're eating six of these foods a week, try to go down to five," says Lutes. Each week, drop another until you're at no more than one or two; at the same time, add in a good-for-you choice like baby carrots, sautéed broccoli, oranges, and other fresh fruits and veggies.

Keep reading for more simple tip to help you lose big.

We're Talking Croquembouches!

YumSugar — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:35:20 PST

Lately, I've been seeing towers of cream puffs, or croquembouches, appearing all over the place, particularly in bridal magazines or on wedding blogs. The croquembouche is most certainly a delicious trend – we had one at our wedding and it was quite a hit! - but these magnificent sweet sculptures are more complicated than they may appear. To get an inside look at how these profiterole towers are made, I reached out to Gerhard and Mary Michler, the driving force behind Gerhard Michler Fine European Pastries and Creative International Pastries, in San Francisco.

Gerhard first started baking at age 17 in his native Austria, so it's safe to say he knows a bit about French pastry. Michler chalks the growing cream puff tower trend up to the fact that people seem to want to see new things these days, and that a croquembouche (also known as a pièce montée) is an exciting conversational piece. For more on this amazing French dessert sculpture, keep reading.