BellaSugar

Like Stealing Lip Gloss From a Baby: 5 Top-Secret Tot Products Big Girls Need

BellaSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 09:00:25 PDT

I don't spend much time in the baby aisle of the drugstore. It's not that I don't love tiny, only-somewhat ambulant humans, it's just that I have other, less-responsible things to do. But sometimes, stuff for babies totally enables my single-girl lifestyle, and I'd like to share my awesomely cheap baby-product stash with you all. So shhhhh, don't tell anybody, and check them out.

Photo by melanieburger

Brand-New Brand: J. Blossom

BellaSugar — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:33:54 PDT

J.Blossom is a brand with a clear mission, and a warm, fuzzy one at that. Founder Jamila White created the bath and body products with children of color in mind, looking to keep kids both clean and carefree. In a recent interview with Afrobella, White explains her motivation:

"I felt like little girls’ self-esteem was under an all-out assault. Every message was telling them that something was wrong with them; that they needed to have long, straight hair; that their skin wasn’t the right shade; that their noses were too big; that their body wasn’t the right shape ... "

To that end, every product in the J. Blossom line - including bubble bath, lip balm, and body lotion - comes with an "affirmation" on the label, such as "I have a beautiful smile" and "Beautiful skin comes in all shades – yummy chocolate, smooth caramel, or creamy vanilla!" For details on the products,

read more J. Blossom's products are free of artificial colors and mineral oils, and each item comes in two kid-friendly scents: Strawberry Banana Smoothie and Great Big Grape. These products are also a bargain, which is great when shopping for fickle kids. The Lip Balm, made from shea butter and jojoba oil, costs $3, while the Body Lotion and Bath and Shower Gel are just $12 each. You can also get an adorable little J. Blossom gift sets ($12) with a bath pouf and gift bag.

Tom and Katie Treat Suri and Connor to a Sunday Night Dinner

Allie Merriam — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:45:14 PST

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes took their children Suri and Connor out to dinner in LA last night. They skipped out on all the happenings at the Grammys, instead choosing to focus on family over a meal at Bouchon Bakery. Tom's home in LA again after finishing up work on One Shot. He's now gearing up to shoot We Mortals Are with director Doug Liman. Another of Tom's projects, Oblivion, is moving forward with production as well, having added Morgan Freeman to the cast. This will be a big month for the Cruise-Holmes clan. Katie and Tom, one of Hollywood's cutest couples, are looking forward to their latest Valentine's Day together tomorrow. He's also gearing up for a return to the Oscars, where he'll be a presenter, on Feb. 26.

7 Money Tips For Couples Starting a Family

Business Insider — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

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

Middle-income parents will spend nearly $227,000 in 17 years for children born in 2010, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

But don't let that scare you - saving for a family can actually be fun if you know what you're doing.

"The most important thing to understand is that your priorities are going to change and your spending habits need to change to reflect those changes," says Stuart Ritter, a financial planner at T. Rowe Price.

With Ritter and other financial experts' help, we'll help you prepare.

Invest in a 529 savings plan

Saving for your child's education is crucial to his or her success, and 529 plans are tax-advantaged college savings accounts that are available in all 50 states.

Most are free to set up, while some states require a minimum of $25 to open an account, says Adam Koos, a certified financial planner with Libertas Wealth Management. Anyone can contribute and take advantage of the tax benefits.

Open the plan before your child is born, says Ritter, and name yourself the beneficiary. You can change the name on the account once your child is born.

Read on for more.

CNET's Women in Technology Panel: Where My Ladies At?

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:06:03 PST

We just arrived back in San Francisco after a whirlwind four days at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and while we're still processing the stats, data, information, and products we've seen, there is one thing we noticed: there's an obvious disconnect in the ratio of men to women at the show.

CNET brought together some of the most influential and powerful women in the tech field - including Padmasree Warrior of Cisco, Marissa Mayer of Google, Caterina Fake of Hunch, and Lindsey Turrentine of CNET - at this year's CES to talk about the state of the tech industry, pink gadgets, and how to strike a balance between work and home. You can see the entire panel (it's about an hour long) in the embedded video after the break, but first, a few highlights:

The general consensus is that women have come a long way in terms of the technology field, but there's a lot more work to be done.
Marissa Mayer says that more students (men and women) should be exposed to computer science at the high school level, so that they have more of a chance to get into the technology industry after college. When speaking about women in technology, it becomes a numbers game, but it's not about the size of the slice of pie, it's the size of the pie as a whole; we need to make the pie bigger, and expose women to computer science earlier.
Caterina Fake lets her daughter in on her work life in order to make her feel included. She conducts family meetings every morning around the breakfast table to talk about what worked yesterday, what they could do better today, and the goals they have for the week ahead.
Lindsey Turrentine says that one of the most important things you can do for your children is to show a strong partnership at home. When raising kids - girls and boys alike - it's important to show that you can do both: have a strong family and lean on each other to pick up the slack when work needs to be done. No one's career is more important than the other.

See what all of the amazing women had to say about the state of the tech industry for women in the full video after the jump.

Jessica Alba Picks Up a Bright Pink Holiday Surprise For Honor!

Katie Henry — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 10:45:50 PST

Jessica Alba stopped by a Toys R Us in LA yesterday and filled her car with holiday surprises! Jess brought along her younger daughter, Haven, as helper to pick up a bright pink Barbie car for big sister Honor. It's Haven's first holiday season, and she went along with Jess, Cash, and Honor to pick out a family Christmas tree, but the 5-month-old skipped out on Honor's meet-and-greet with Santa. Jessica is heading into 2012 with a new business venture as the founder of The Honest Company, a retailer of affordable and non-toxic products for children, babies, and families.

Gift Guide: 10 Charitable Gifts For Architecture, Design, and Home Enthusiasts

Elka Karl — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:00:08 PST

If you're still searching for a passable gift for a friend or family member who seems to have everything she needs, put down that credit card for a moment and consider giving a charitable gift instead. There are amazing charities and non-profit organizations out there doing great work, which could definitely use your charitable gift this year.
For friends and family members who appreciate charitable gifts and have a deep love for causes related to design, architecture, and home, here are 10 gifts they'll be sure to cherish. (These gifts are tax-deductible, too, so you can feel good about your holiday giving and feel good about your taxes.) Of course, this is only a tiny fraction of the charities that need your support. If none of these seem to fit your gifting agenda, make sure to check out charities in your area, too!

Located in Boston, The Food Project turns abandoned urban lots into productive farms that make nutritious fresh produce available in former food deserts. Around 40 percent of the food grown is donated to hunger relief organizations and homeless shelters, or sold at below-market rates at farmers' markets.
The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the United States' only museum completely dedicated to historic and contemporary design. With over 250,000 objects, the Museum holds the largest design collection in the country. Contribute with a gift amount or a membership.
Berkeley's Ecology Center is a public resource for reliable information, tools, hands-on training, referrals, strategies, infrastructure, and models for sustainable living.
Architecture For Humanity strives to create a more sustainable future through its network of more than 50,000 professionals who lend their time and expertise to help bring design, construction, and development services where they are most critically needed across the world.
The National Coalition For Homeless Veterans provides advice and assistance to policymakers, Congress and the federal agencies involved with homeless veteran issues and service providers with the goal of ending homelessness among veterans.
The National Housing Law Project is a law and advocacy center dedicated to housing justice for the poor. For over 40 years, NHLP has used the law to increase and preserve the supply of decent affordable housing, to improve existing housing conditions, including physical conditions and management practices, to expand and enforce low-income tenants' and homeowners' rights, and to increase opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities.
Habitat For Humanity helps to provide home ownership opportunities through the building of safe, energy efficient, and stable homes, in partnership with the potential home owners through its "sweat equity" program. Habitat For Humanity seeks to "eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action."
The American Folk Art Museum is devoted to the preservation, conservation, and interpretation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States and abroad.
West Oakland's City Slicker Farms has been working to create food justice and improve the environment in West Oakland since 2001 through a series of gardens, workshops, and related projects for the community.
The Good Shepherd Center in Los Angeles helps homeless women rebuild their lives so they and their children will experience a brighter future. Through housing, employment and other supportive services, we offer women hope and the opportunity to achieve independence.

Do you have a favorite cause or charity that you give to each year? Leave the name and link in the comments below.

Isla Hangs With Elula While Rumors Hint Sacha Will Join Les Miserables

Katie Henry — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:27:06 PST

Isla Fisher left a children's gym in West Hollywood today with her youngest daughter, Elula. Despite the gloomy weather the girls ventured out for an early morning playdate with friends. Isla's been spotted running errands around LA and taking meetings, but it's her husband, Sacha Baron Cohen, who's been the talk of the town in recent weeks. Sacha is rumored to be playing Les Miserables' Thénardier, in the big-screen adaption of the classic musical. There's still no confirmation from Cohen or the film's director Tom Hooper; however, major stars like Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway have already signed onto the production.

iGadgets Top American Kids' Holiday Wish Lists

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 11:45:16 PST

Searching the web for the best gift ideas for the youngest recipients on your holiday shopping lists? Look no further than one brand - Apple. Turns out children's tastes don't vary much from the design-conscious adults in their lives when it comes to the perfect present, according to a survey by Nielsen that polled kids ages 6 to 12. Nearly half, 44 percent, to be precise, of all children polled said an iPad is what they hope will be hiding under wrapping paper this year.

Apple's other mobile devices, the iPod Touch and iPhone, round out the top three gadgets on American kids' wish lists, showing just how loyal the demographic is to their brand of choice. Teenagers 13 and up also list the iPad as their number one must-have, but show their more, relatively, traditional side with a computer and ereader as their number two and three gift wants.

Of course, the products on these top three lists come at a price that may not fit all budgets. An iPad 2 starts at $500; the iPod Touch is $200; and both the Nook and Kindle ereaders are priced just under $100. Do you think kids' desired gifts of 2011 are extravagant or just right for the time of year?

Mark Wahlberg Brings His Cute Kids to Work in NYC

Lauren Turner — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:52:38 PST

Mark Wahlberg got a special visit from his children Michael and Ella on the set of Broken City in NYC yesterday. He took a break from filming to hang with his two oldest kids and even threw around a football between takes. Mark's been working on the crime drama all month, and, once things wrap up on the East Coast today, he'll take production to New Orleans. The actor has more than just his latest movie and his hit TV show, Boardwalk Empire, on his plate currently. He recently opened a burger joint with his family called Wahlburger. The restaurant is located in Hingham, MA and Mark's brother Paul serves as the chef.