SavvySugar

Celebrity Commencement Speeches

TresSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:47 -0800

Today the lucky class of 2010 at NYU learned its commencement speaker will be Alec Baldwin. I guess life is peaks and valleys! One minute you're hosting the Oscars, and the next you're standing in medieval garb talking to 22-year-olds on a sweltering New York day!

But he's hardly the first celebrity to get an honorary doctorate and give a commencement speech. See what advice other celebrities have imparted on graduating classes.

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10 Zesty Dishes With Stellar Sauces

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:50:49 -0800

I mentioned before that March happens to be National Sauce Month. Even if you've got nonexistent sauce smarts, consider the occasion a great way to become a better saucier. Start by familiarizing yourself with dishes that call for classic sauces. From rémoulade to romesco and chimichurri to caramel, we've got you covered. Here, 10 recipes with stellar sauces that are worth trying.

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Oscar Odd Couples

TresSugar — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:00:44 -0800

It seems like anyone who's ever been in Hollywood came out last night. If not for the Oscars then for the afterparties. From Kristen Stewart and Anjelica Huston to Jessica Simpson and Anderson Cooper, see what unlikely duos paired up late into Oscar night.

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Life Lessons From Oscar-Nominated Characters

TresSugar — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:00:26 -0800

If you can't see the world, you can see a movie. Maybe it's a close second? Or not! But it's certainly cheaper and less effort, so here are some souvenirs of truth from characters nominated for Oscars this year.

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Reasons the Weekend Is Making You Sick

FitSugar — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 03:30:23 -0800

If you work Monday through Friday, by the end of the week you're psyched for the weekend so you can let loose. Unfortunately, the typical weekend plans sometimes mean we're not taking the best care of ourselves. So when Monday rolls around, we may end up with a cold, the flu, a stomach bug, or just an overall rundown feeling. Take a look at some reasons the weekend may be making you ill, so you can prevent calling in sick.

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Lifetime Achievement: Red-Carpet Couples

TresSugar — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:31 -0800

Hollywood romances aren't built to last, but these couples have defied expectations and stayed together. Which is really something - for anyone! From longtime couples like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell to newer ones like Heidi Klum and Seal, see how time has changed these red-carpet couples.

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Let Your Abs Say Ahh With These Stretches

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:30:44 -0800

After an intense strength training session for your core, your abs are screaming for some relief. Here are some ab stretches you can do right after your exercises, or the next day when you're so sore it hurts to laugh.

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10 Dishes to Get You Excited For Spring

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:15:16 -0800

Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl seemed like yesterday, but in reality, St. Patrick's Day and March Madness are just around the corner. With the third month of the year, we're officially kicking off our Spring coverage. To ring it in, I've compiled 10 dishes that are getting us pumped for the new season.

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Help Your Lover Lose It

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:50:59 -0800

Chances are, if you're reading FitSugar, you make an effort every day to eat right and exercise. Although you're doing your best to live a healthy lifestyle, maybe your significant other isn't. He or she may constantly snack on cookies and chips, drink soda instead of water, and get fast food every day for lunch. If it's upsetting to see them abusing their bodies, instead of watching their waistlines expand, here are some ways you can nudge them into taking better care of themselves.

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The Week in Pictures

TresSugar — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 08:00:25 -0800

February winded down this week as the Olympics finished up in Vancouver and Fashion Week came to a close in London. But there were beginnings too! Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland premiered; President Obama signed a historic initiative; and a 171-hour music marathon dedicated to composer Frédéric Chopin began in Poland. See it all in pictures.

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How-To: Decorate With Velvet

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:30:00 -0800

Velvet is probably my favorite fabric, but using it too generously can put your home in danger of looking like a mafia pad. Decorating with velvet sparingly is key. But you can use it all around your home, from ottomans to quilts, and there are a few upholstery tricks that will help you make the most of the fabric. Want to see some of my favorite ways to use velvet?

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House Tour: Yvonne's German Flat

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:00:00 -0800

Yvonne, her husband, and their three children have been expats for the last seven years, and in that time have lived everywhere from Mexico City to Istanbul. Currently, the family lives in Germany, where Yvonne runs an Etsy shop, crafts, cooks, decorates, and enjoys her family and home. A tour of her home reveals a great eye for color and decor. Take a peek at her lovely home!
Source: Flickr User Moline

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Top 10 Air Purifying House Plants

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 07:00:00 -0800

Chemicals are fairly prevalent in our homes, but house plants can help! A 1989 study by NASA (get the PDF here) concluded that certain "low-light-requiring houseplants, along with activated carbon plant filters, have demonstrated the potential for improving indoor air quality by removing trace organic pollutants from the air in energy-efficient buildings." The study identified 10 plants that purify indoor air of dangerous toxins, including trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, and benzene.

Luckily, by adding some good-looking plants to our homes that are proven to purify the air, we can greatly reduce our exposure to these scary chemicals. Want to know what the top 10 air purifying plants are?

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Don't Burn Out Your Workout

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:00:48 -0800

Many of us set new healthy goals for 2010, but all those good intentions and motivation can start to fizzle - so much so that some may stop exercising altogether. Don't let this happen to you! Keep these six tips in mind to prevent exercise burnout.

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Two Sunday Brunches at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:50:14 -0800

Long before Ad Hoc at Home became a holiday pick and bestselling cookbook, Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant was a go-to Napa Valley spot for family-style comfort food. When the culinary deity first opened Ad Hoc in 2006, he intended for it to be a temporary café until he could nail down what his ultimate dining concept would be. But the restaurant, which served a set, four-course American meal every night, experienced such wild success that it became a permanent fixture. Although Ad Hoc is known for its dinners, I've recently discovered that its Sunday brunch is a better value and more consistent in execution. It's truly worth the 80-minute drive from San Francisco. To see two of my favorite brunches, keep reading.

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Pick Your Push-Up

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:30:21 -0800

If you want to strengthen your arms and build definition in your upper body and back, then drop and give me 20. Yep, I'm talking push-ups. This simple exercise is also one of the most effective. Changing up the kind of push-ups you do will target different areas of your arms and back. To learn which types of push-ups tone which parts of your body, start the slildeshow.

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Get Ready For the South Beach Wine & Food Festival!

partysugar — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:50:41 -0800

This year for the very first time ever, I will be attending the Food Network's annual festival in South Beach, Florida. I've been wanting to go to SOBE since YumSugar launched back in 2006, so I am totally excited! To prepare myself, I thought I would take a closer look at the event. Here you will find out more details, which seminars, tastings, and parties I will be at.

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Snack Safe: BPA-Free Lunchables

FitSugar — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:30:27 -0800

With the big BPA scare in 2008 with Nalgene bottles, where we learned that the chemical bisphenol A could cause all sorts of health problems including cancer and urinary tract infections, many people made the switch to stainless steel, aluminum, and BPA-free water bottles. But have you thought about what other food containers you re-use? Check out some BPA-free alternatives you can use in your lunchbox.

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The Week in Pictures

TresSugar — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 08:00:33 -0800

A lot happened this week! New York Fashion Week ended and London's began. Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras came and went. Actors flocked to Germany for the Berlin Film Festival and London prepared for the BAFTAs. The Olympics went on, and Tiger Woods apologized. See how it all went down in pictures.

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5 Photographs of Michael Thonet's 214 Chair

CasaSugar — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:00:06 -0800

German manufacturer Michael Thonet's No. 214 celebrates its 150th birthday this year. Since the bentwood chair made its debut (along with the bentwood process), more than 50 million copies have been made, making it the most reproduced chair of all time and the most successful industrial product in the world. To honor the classic chair, the Thonet company held a photo competition, asking amateurs and professionals alike to share their own images and stories of their bentwood chairs, and whittled down more than 300 images to 20 winners and 16 honorable mentions. Check out this slideshow to see my favorites.

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Turn On or Turn Off? Winter Olympics Edition

TresSugar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:00:34 -0800

Between figure skating and curling, the Winter Olympics are not exactly known for their sex appeal. Bodies are either covered up - though God knows I love sweaters - or clad in unflattering neon body suits. But with the news that male figure skaters are sex symbols in Russia, who am I to say what's attractive and what's not? Tell us if you think think these Winter sports have sex appeal or could be whited-out for all you care.

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Get Mountain Ready With These Strength Training Moves

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:50:10 -0800

If the Winter games have you fired up for the slopes, our friends over at American Council on Exercise (ACE) have designed a workout to get you mountain ready. These moves for boarders and skiers will help build muscle to make you stronger and faster - just like the Olympic snow geniuses Hannah Kearney and Lindsey Vonn. OK, maybe not as strong and fast as them, but these exercises will definitely help improve your techniques on the slopes. If snow is not your thing, runners, bikers, and swimmers will also benefit from these exercises that will tone your squads, calves, and glutes.

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Mardi Gras Recipes For a Fat (and Happy) Tuesday

YumSugar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:50:07 -0800

With the 2010 Olympics, Valentine's Day, the NBA all-star games, Chinese New Year, and President's Day all lumped together in one long weekend, this week has been pretty much the longest string of celebratory events ever. On top of it all, Fat Tuesday - aka Mardi Gras - happens to be today, which is a surefire way to end the festivities with a bang. If you can't make it to the French Quarter to celebrate with beads and beers, bring the occasion to your own home with a few Cajun and Creole classics. Here are some of our favorites.

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Let's Get Physical!

FitSugar — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:40:32 -0800

Since sex apparently wasn't good enough on its own, it had to hop on the exercise bandwagon. Now there's a whole slew of fitness products that will help you have better sex. Are they bona fide gym tools or sex toys masquerading in the locker room? You decide. Working out may never feel this good again.

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