BellaSugar

Family Trades in Mansion to Help the Hungry

SavvySugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:02:09 PDT

The Salwen family's $1.8 million mansion is for sale, and unlike many Americans with for sale signs on their lawns, the family is selling for reasons that don't involve a mortgage they can no longer afford. The Salwens lived happily in their gorgeous 1912 Georgian mansion for nine years, and after realizing how many people they could help by donating half their home's worth the family decided to downsize.

They've already moved into their new home that is half the size of their old one even though their previous home is still for sale. Once it does sell, they will donate half the proceeds and help about 20,000 hungry Ghanaians. Watch the video to see both homes and listen to the family talk about how their American Dream changed.

American Dream Gives Dreamy Clip-On Hair

BellaSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 10:00:33 PST

Yesterday I told you a little bit about professional hair extensions and how costly they can be, so today I wanted to make sure that you can have long, thick and lustrous hair even if you don't have a bulging budget. These easy-to-use American Dream Hair Extensions ($29.42) really are a dream come true!

All you have to do is match the color extension to your own hair color (which is pretty easy, considering there are 85 shades to choose from), and clip them in section by section to the layer of your hair just underneath your crown.

Be warned that it took me three pieces to create a natural-looking full head of hair. I have thin hair, so if yours is thick, you may even want to go for four. You can use less if you are creating an updo, ponytail or half-up half-down look, or you can choose one contrasting shade for a fun touch of color.

The extensions are made from 100% human hair. This is good news because they are soft, they can be cut and they're safe to use with heated styling tools. Each extension comes in 12 inch wide and 18 inch long wefts. So it's a lot easier - and more affordable - to try this trend than you might think.

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What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

The Rum Diary

In this adaption of Hunter S. Thompson's novel, we follow the wild escapades of Paul Kemp (Johnny Depp), an American journalist who takes a job at a newspaper in Puerto Rico in the '50s. Although Paul has every intention to report on the important news of the region, he just can't say no to a good party. While the location is absolutely stunning (as is costar Amber Heard) and Depp has some seriously hilarious moments, the story doesn't satisfy. The DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette and a documentary.

50%

Take Shelter

In this drama, Michael Shannon plays Curtis LaForche, a small-town man who manages a happy family life, despite his financial struggles and daughter's disability. When Curtis starts having terrifying dreams about a storm of apocalyptic proportions, he has difficulty communicating his anxiety to his wife or community. Despite the fact that Take Shelter didn't receive an Oscar nomination, it received five Film Independent Spirit Award nominations, including one for Shannon's performance. The DVD extras include deleted scenes, a commentary track, and a Q&A with Shannon and costar Shea Whigham.

92%

Pilot Scoop: Smash

Shannon Vestal — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:04:40 PST

NBC is getting in on musical madness with new show Smash, a drama that follows the production of a musical about Marilyn Monroe and the two ingénues vying for the lead. With high production value and an ensemble cast that includes Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston, the show is a colorful, splashy, and tune-filled entrant into the midseason lineup. Before you check out tonight's premiere, check out my first impressions below.

What it's about: The first episode charts the early development of the musical Marilyn, the brainchild of a few theater producers (including Messing and Huston). As the idea germinates, the showrunners have to make the difficult decision of who to cast as Marilyn Monroe: the seasoned, Ivy (Megan Hilty), who's also a dead-ringer for Marilyn, or inexperienced Karen (Katharine McPhee) who comes in at the last minute and knocks their socks off.
Where it works: Former American Idol contestant McPhee is an inspired choice here; we've all heard her sing, but it turns out that she can also act. She's charming and plucky as Karen, the girl who's a waitress by night so she can nurture her dream of making it big on Broadway. I also enjoyed seeing her home life with her supportive (and dashing) boyfriend played by Raza Jaffrey.
Where it doesn't: It's unclear how much of the musical the series will be. In the opener, we hear numbers from Marilyn and familiar tunes like "Beautiful" in auditions, but when Ivy and Karen break into song at the end of the hour, it doesn't feel that organic - or necessary.
When it's on: Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC, starting Feb. 6
You might like this show if: You like Glee, but this show is even more appealing to theater fans.

See a preview for Smash and photos after the break.

J Lo Sees a Vegas Show With Casper as Idol Has a Disappointing Debut

Katie Henry — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:26:16 PST

Jennifer Lopez met Cirque Du Soleil stars from their show O in Las Vegas last night. She's in Sin City filming American Idol but decided to take the night off to see a show with boyfriend Casper Smart. Jennifer and Casper seem to be going strong, and he's even spoken out about their 18-year age differences. Casper tweeted, "Our ages are mere reminders of the hours logged on this earth and the precious time remaining. . . We should all honor our time here by indulging our passion and dreams. So, close your ears and open your hearts; Love and be happy!" J Lo later retweeted his sentiments to her 4.3 million followers.

American Idol returned for its 11th season on Wednesday night. However, the debut failed to post the impressive ratings seen in the past. The drop in Idol ratings isn't a complete loss, though. J Lo and her cohosts Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson, and Ryan Seacrest are still winning their primetime time slot.

Savvy Links: 12 Things That Will Be Less Expensive in 2012

Emily Co — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:59:06 PST

12 things that will be less expensive in 2012 - Wise Bread
Apps to help you survive traveling with the kids - Tecca
Ways to reach your financial goals - Real Simple
Reasons to take a second job - Bankrate
Things you don’t want to hear from your financial advisor - Credit Karma
American dreams: Brewster’s Millions and triumphant America - The Daily Beast
When you’re held back because you’re too good - Corporette
Turning a side hustle into self-employment - Get Rich Slowly

How to Get Your Metabolism Moving

Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:03:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Does your metabolism grind to a halt after 35? Can certain foods rev it up? Answers ahead — and they're good.
By Paige Greenfield

Here's something to feel good about: your body is a calorie-burning machine. You'll even torch a few while reading this article. The point is, every single thing you do — from breathing to eating to sleeping — uses energy. The number of calories it would take just to lie in bed all day is called your resting metabolic rate. And just like your curly hair or warm personality, yours is unique.

"There are so many factors that determine your metabolic rate," says Janet Rankin, PhD, professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise at Virginia Tech. Among them: your height and weight (bigger people burn more calories), your gender (women have slower metabolisms than men), your age (your metabolic rate declines as you get older), how much muscle or fat you have (muscle burns more calories than fat does), and your DNA.

Health.com: Little Ways to Lose Big Pounds

Although you can't rewire your double helix or switch back the clock, there's still plenty you can do to be a fast burner, Rankin says. All you need to do is remember these four research-backed truths.

Cardio Revs Your Metabolism For Hours Afterward
Resistance training often hogs the metab-boosting spotlight. It's no wonder, since a pound of muscle at rest fries three times as many calories as a pound of fat. However, cardio is every bit as crucial for keeping your metabolism humming.

New research explains why: In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, people pedaled a stationary bike as hard as they could for 47 minutes.
The finding: They slashed 190 calories above their resting metabolic rate for 14 hours after their workout. Add that to the 519 calories, on average, the cyclists scorched from the workout itself, and that's one heck of a sweat session.

"If you do just two to three vigorous bouts of exercise per week for 45 minutes, you could lose a pound of fat every two weeks from the combination of calories expended during exercise plus what you burn afterward," says study author David Nieman, PhD, a professor of exercise science at Appalachian State University.

So how can you tell if you're pushing hard enough? Any sweat-inducing activity you can sustain for 45 minutes will do the trick.

More useful tips after the break.

No Joke: The Shake Weight Works Muscles 66 Percent Harder

Self — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:36:37 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

It's the stuff of dreams for raunchy Saturday Night Live comedy writers, but the Shake Weight might be worth more than just a few laughs.

In case you haven't heard of the Shake Weight, it is, according to its makers, the "revolutionary new way to shape and tone your arms, shoulders and chest." Basically, it's a 2.5 pound dumbbell with springs on either end, and instead of merely lifting, you, yes, shake it. Exercise physiologist Amy Dixon, group fitness manager for Equinox in Santa Monica, Calif., isn't surprised the Shake Weights are selling so well - according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), in its first year on the market, more than 2 million Shake Weights were sold and they have since surpassed the 4.5 million mark. "People are always looking for the new hot product and the quick fix," Dixon says. "This product promises fast results and has a marketing campaign that promotes the idea of 'sexiness' - if you want sexy arms like the people on the commercials, you need a Shake Weight!"

But will it really give us sexy arms? Wanting to test out some of the claims made by the Shake Weight informercials - primarily that the Shake Weight can "increase your upper-body muscle activity by up to 300 percent compared to some traditional weights" - ACE commissioned a team of exercise scientists from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. The researchers compared the degree of muscle activation when using the Shake Weight to using a traditional dumbbell of equal weight, and they came up with some interesting results.

So, does the Shake Weight actually work? Find out after the break.

6 Earth-Shattering Space Headlines From 2011

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:14:26 PST

There may not have been any human exploration of Mars this year, but there certainly were plenty of galactic milestones in the last 12 months from NASA and international space programs. From the end of the space shuttle program that once had kids dreaming of becoming astronauts to the launch of a space robot to a possible planet twin, which of these 2011 headlines was your highlight of the year's space exploration?

End of Shuttle Era - Over the Summer, NASA marked its 135th and final space shuttle mission. After a 30-year long program, the shuttle Atlantis was the last manned American spaceship of its kind to leave Earth. NASA is turning future missions to the exploration of other planets and deep space.
Curiosity Mars Rover Takes Off - In hopes of learning more about the Red Planet, NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory, with a rover named Curiosity on board in November. It will take about nine months before the Rover descends on our neighbor planet, where its high-tech components will analyze the Martian terrain.
Earth-Like Planet Confirmed in the Habitable Zone - The team of NASA scientists working with the Kepler satellite confirmed the sighting of a planet in the habitable zone of a distant star. Kepler-22b, is 600 light years away from Earth, is larger in size than our planet, and orbits its sun-like star in just 290 days.
Voyager Enters Interstellar Space - After 30 years of travel, the Voyager 1 spacecraft passed the boundaries of our solar system, inching closer to interstellar space. Launched from the US in 1977, Voyager 1 is now about 11 billion miles away from the sun.

Reminisce back to two more 2011 space events after the break.

Moving Lines From Hillary Clinton's Gay Rights Speech

Annie Scudder — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:30:42 PST

Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took up the issue of gay rights. After reviewing the adoption of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the hard-fought victories achieved since for racial and religious minorities as well as women, Hillary said, "Today, I want to talk about the work we have left to do to protect one group of people whose human rights are still denied in too many parts of the world today." Here are some of the best lines from her speech, which some have called the "I Have a Dream" moment for the global LGBT community.

It starts at home: "Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home."
LGBT rights are human rights: "Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights."
LGBT people are members of the global community: "In reality, gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths; they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes; and whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbors."
Religion is not an excuse: "Perhaps most challenging, issue arises when people cite religious or cultural values as a reason to violate or not to protect the human rights of LGBT citizens. This is not unlike the justification offered for violent practices towards women like honor killings, widow burning, or female genital mutilation."