BellaSugar

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Cousin, The Dude

BellaSugar — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:00:12 PST

Yesterday's gift guide focused on female cousins, so today's gift ideas are all for male cousins. I know that some people have cousins who are like brothers to them, while other cousins are just those random people you see only at the holidays. Either way, I hope there's something in here that gives you some shopping ideas. I even tossed in a luxurious dream item-not that I'd ever spend that kind of money on a razor, but it's fun to have a gander.

Sephora Scent Sampler Gift Certificate For Him, $50	Kiehl's Close Shavers Squadron Ultimate Shave Cream, $15.50
The Refinery Travel Kit, $75	Mach 3 Shaving Set, $300	Neutrogena Men Triple Protect Face Lotion, SPF 20, $5.67

BellaSugar's Gift Guide: Your Cousin

BellaSugar — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 09:57:07 PST

Welcome back to another edition of beauty-related family holiday gift guides! Today's subjects are your female cousins. What I like about buying gifts for my cousins is that I can get a little bit more creative with them. In the past, I've given out gift certificates and they've gone over famously (hint, hint). Here are a couple of cute and kitschy ideas for your shopping list.

Kiehl's - Creme de Corps ($26)	Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa Gift Certificate ($25 - $300)
Ulta - On The Go Makeup Kit ($19.99)	Victoria's Secret - Lip Gloss Set ($30)
Bliss - Best of Bliss Holiday 200 ($45)	Fresh - Lip & Lash Combo ($42)
Sephora - Cuticle Care Pen ($12)	Bath & Body Works -True Blue Spa Pedicure Kit ($39)	Fekkai - Winter Hair Lift-Define-Shine Styling Compact ($25)

See Whitney Houston With Other Iconic Women Over the Years

Annie Scudder — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 09:25:51 PST

We grew up listening to Whitney Houston, so we were devastated like most to hear of her passing. With a gospel-singer mother, Dionne Warwick as an cousin, and Aretha Franklin as a godmother, Whitney herself grew up surrounded by talented women. To celebrate her life, let's look back on the good times she shared with some of them over the years.

The Five Best Races For Women

espnW — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:09:19 PST

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

By Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea

Sage Steele, SportsCenter anchor, is preparing to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World on Feb. 26 and hoping to fall in love with running in the process. Follow Sage’s journey on espnW.com

Women's races offer a decidedly different vibe than their coed cousins': more camaraderie, a sole sister atmosphere that welcomes all runners and walkers, and lots more running skirts. Here are five of the top women's races and series in the country. Sign up then train like Sage.

Disney Tinker Bell and Princess half marathons
Sage picked a winner. Let your inner child run free through the Magic Kingdom at these festival race weekends. Tinker Bell is in Disneyland, while Princess is in Disney World, but both allow thousands of runners to mix and mingle with Disney characters on courses that wind through each park. Racers put almost as much effort into costumes - Snow White, Belle, or Minnie, anyone? - as training. Bonus: your kids will be especially psyched to cheer you on.

Sage Steele gets some training advice from Disney runMom Lori Lovell

Nike Women's Marathon
Yeah, it's tough to snag an entry, but if you can, this race is so worth it. (Psst: Go through Team in Training.) This 26.2-mile race, and its half-marathon companion, traverses San Francisco with sweeping vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge and Pacific Ocean to take your mind off the killer hills in the first 10 miles of the race. Tuxedo-clad firefighters bestow each finisher with a Tiffany & Co. pendant.

Run fast by fueling up smart

Three more great races after the break.

"Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

Tres Community — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:05:00 PST

This question is from a Group Therapy post in our TrèsSugar Community. Add your advice in the comments!

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for a year and two months. Since this year has started, I’ve been trying to decide what I need to do in regards to our relationship. My main issue is the minimal effort he has put into making things work. He has his own business, of which he needs one or two more people to assist. However, besides his sister helping on occasion, he does everything on his own. From the start, I understood, as well as accepted this. However, our dates have always been centered around his business or attending one friend’s parties. This averages out to me seeing him about once a month.

We have never gone out and spent an evening by ourselves, nor have we ever done anything “special.” When I ask him about this, he always just says he’s busy. His sister has said to both him and myself, that even if he’s busy, he has the type of business in which I can hang out at. After two big blow outs between us where he was blatantly disrespectful to me, I’m beginning to wonder about the future of our relationship. He used to call me at least once a day, and now three to four days will pass before he calls. I usually try to call him at least once a day, however, I’ve noticed that if I don’t call him, four days will pass before I hear anything from him.

So, over a week ago I called him and told him I don’t think it was going to work. He invited me over to talk about it and the conversation ended after I expressed my frustration with our current state of affairs. He told me that he loves me, he doesn’t want to lose me, and he promises that he is going to give me much more attention. He has promised this before, which I have pointed out, but he says that this time it’s really going to be different.

This past week, the only time we spoke was when I called. Of course, our conversations never even lasted past three minutes. This morning, I called him to let him know that I was going to be in town later, to help my cousin organize an upcoming charity event, and was wondering if he would like to get together in the evening. He was hesitant at first, and then said that he was going to be busy, but I could come over. He’s planning to have friends over.

This is how it’s been from the time we’ve met. I love him, but I’m increasingly feeling like I deserve more than this. I would like for us to spend time together, especially seeing as I have to drive an hour to see him. I do all the driving because he doesn’t drive. What should I do?

Have a dilemma of your own? Post it anonymously to Group Therapy for advice, and check out what else is happening in the TrèsSugar Community.

14 Geeky Languages to Learn With Your Love

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:15:00 PST

Love may be a universal language, but we're not sure that phrase includes the sci-fi alien races and fantastical creatures that rule the far depths of the galaxy, who express love in words beyond our human comprehension. When you're thinking of a unique way to woo your valentine this year, plan a tutorial to learn together one of these 14 geeky languages. While several of these Trekkie, Tolkien, or computer gaming-inspired languages have enough depth to warrant a university level class, many are not fully realized, so have fun discovering select words and phrases to bring to future geeky date outings.

Wookie - Made up of three dialects, the main Wookie language is Shyriiwook. As you'd expect it consists of lots of barks and grunts, but don't you dare say that to Chewbacca. The Star Wars Christmas Special has detailed examples of this mystifying tongue.
Klingon - The language of Klingons, the sometimes ally of the Federation, is arguably the best known of the imagined star languages. Described by its Hollywood creators as gutteral in tone, dedicated Trekkies maintain the Klingon Language Institue, preserving the galaxy's "fastest growing language."
Vulcan - Known as the language of Spock, one version of Vulcan looks like musical notes. Much of the language is available online today as Gene Roddenberry was insistent when making Star Trek: The Motion Picture that the Vulcans receive their own linguistic treatment.
Romulan - As biological cousins of the Vulcans, the Romulan language is difficult to differentiate from Vulcan to the untrained ear. The Central Institute of the Romulan Language ensures you get the right training to one day know the difference.
Cardassian - Residents of the Alpha Quadrant, Cardassians are a fearsome foe of the Federation. Little is known of their language, maybe because of its rectangular-shaped letters and script.
Andorian - The blue-skinned moon species from Andora appeared throughout the Star Trek series and would of course show up in the directory of a PADD.
Elvish - With a background in linguistics study from Oxford, Tolkien did not take the creation of the Lord of the Rings languages lightly. Based on Welsh and English, you can study Liv Tyler's Arwen in the film trilogy for pronunciation and read the many online Elvish resources, including an English to Elvish dictionary.
Dwarvish - Also called Khuzdul, Tolkien is said to have drawn inspiration for the secret language of the Dwarves from Hebrew, reflecting many of the same sounds and structure. As many Lord of the Rings languages, it's been almost fully realized and you can study up with the Dwarvish dictionary.

Check out even more languages to geek out over after the jump.

Bridal Friday Link Time: Valentine's Day Wedding Inspiration

TresSugar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:40:00 PST

Valentine's Day inspiration for a bridal shower or wedding - The Wedding Chicks
15 accessories to help you stay warm at a Winter wedding - Equally Wed
Love this happily married personalized paper doll magnet set! - The Bride's Guide
Author of Gay Men Don't Get Fat, Simon Doonan, shares best wedding memories - Glamour
This rainy-day engagement shoot is so romantic and sweet - Green Wedding Shoes
Can I tell my cousin-to-be to choose a wedding date not so close to mine? - 100 Layer Cake
From a shotgun wedding to theme ideas: get answers from the experts - Style Me Pretty
A sweethearts-inspired love shoot for V-Day fun - Utterly Engaged
10 most romantic hotels for your honeymoon! - Project Wedding

The Wide World of Wings: Lemon Pepper With Cucumber-Feta Yogurt Sauce

Sara Yoo — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:30:04 PST

We close out our week of worldly wings with a recipe . . . with an accessory. While I love this classic finger food on its own, sometimes a cooling dipping sauce is just what the tailgater ordered to complement a piping hot and/or fiery chicken wing. Think about it: buffalo wings are divine, but when that Frank's RedHot sauce becomes too hot to handle, nothing quenches a mouth inferno quite like some blue cheese dressing.

While this recipe forgoes a spicy wing in favor of a tangy lemon-pepper vinaigrette, it's merely a vehicle for the velvety yogurt dipping sauce. Creamy feta and soothing cucumber serve to heighten the cooling sensation, making it a great addition to a wing buffet side by side with its hotter cousins. Get the recipe.

How to Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses

LearnVest — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:15:16 PST

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

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like there are many money lessons to learn from The Real Housewives.

One spent a season building a $1.8 million mansion and driving around a $1,280-per-month Escalade, only to file for bankruptcy with almost $11 million in debt.

Shortly postbankruptcy, she dropped another $60,000 on a shopping spree so she could continue to fit in with those in her social circle.

Even if you don’t end up with millions of dollars in debt - or have friends who are millionaires - trying to keep up with the Joneses (or the Gorgas, in this case) can not only make you feel lousy about yourself, but also inspire bad spending decisions. We call this phenomenon “money comparisonitis.”

How Having "Comparisonitis" Affects Us

In our own lives, the dangers of gazing enviously at the Real Housewives’ spending sprees, our neighbor’s new car, or that family down the street who can send their kids to private school are not only the fact that it makes us feel bad, but that it literally distorts our view of reality.

In other words, we look at celebrities like the Kardashians or the wealthier people we know, and we try to emulate their spending habits. “You’re not being truthful with yourself,” says Susan L. Hirshman, president of She Ltd., a consulting firm focused on enhancing women’s wealth, and the author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?. “As they make more money, that allows them to live a certain lifestyle.” In other words, you have to face facts and spend in accordance with your own budget, rather than feeling entitled to live a certain way just because other people do.

Read on for more.

6 Ways to Jazz Up Tea

Leta Shy — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 19:31:26 PST

When it's cold outside and you want to wake up, what do you reach for? If it's always coffee, it may be time to take another look at tea. The antioxidant properties of coffee's cousin are high, and there are many more ways to enjoy the hot beverage than just milk and sugar. Want to spice up your daily cup? Here are six recipes to jazz up white, green, or black tea!

Source: Thinkstock