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Pixar Cofounder Ed Catmull Lists His Storybook California Estate

Angela Swinderman Elias — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:38:45 PDT

Pixar cofounder and Walt Disney Animation Studios president Ed Catmull might be known for cranking out computer-animated blockbusters like Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Finding Nemo, but his whopping Kentfield, CA, estate, listed for $10.9 million, proves that he also has an excellent eye for prime real estate. According to Trulia, the six-bedroom, eight-full-bathroom, and two-half-bath estate is filled with storybook details. The South Hampton-inspired house sits atop a three-quarter-acre parcel surrounded by lush lawns and views of Mt. Tamalpais and the Southern Marin Ridgeline. Still, state-of-the-art touches throughout the house reflect Catmull's creative tech tycoon status. Take a look inside to tour the picturesque grounds, modern decor, and custom details of this Northern California gem.

9 Ways Vodka Can Help You Save Money

Emily Co — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:22:38 PDT

Sorry to burst your bubble, but you're not going to save by drinking vodka! However, the liquor actually has a couple of household uses that will come in handy. Not to mention, you won't be splashing unnecessary money on products and you'll be doing the environment some good because it's less toxic. Invest in a bottle of cheap vodka to stretch your dollar in these ways:

Clean Your Clothes: First, do a spot test on the piece of clothing just to be on the safe side. If the material stays in the same condition, spray vodka on the outfit. It'll keep your clothes fresh in between laundry loads and kill any lingering odors. The liquor is also a good stain remover, so dab some on stubborn stains before throwing your clothes into the washer.
Get Rid of Mold: Spray it on the mold in your bathroom, and after letting it soak in for a good while, wipe it clean. The alcohol will kill the mold.
Air Freshener: Make a one part vodka and three parts water solution and pour it into a spray bottle. Start spraying away to get rid of any odor in the room.
Prevent Flowers From Wilting: Add a few drops of vodka into your flower vase to preserve your lovely bouquet. Vodka lengthens the life of the blooms because it inhibits ethylene production, which is what helps the plant mature, according to the Scientific American.
Repel Insects: Use vodka as an ingredient for a bug repellent. DIYlife.com recommends to mix it with apple cider vinegar and drops of citronella or eucalyptus essential oil. Spray it on yourself or areas you don't want bugs to come crawling, such as your patio furniture.
Polish and Shine: Take a piece of cloth, wet it with vodka, and clean your eyeglasses with it. Alternatively, you can also mix it with some water, then spray the liquid on windows and mirrors to make them shine. So long, Windex!
Glue Remover: Remove the sticky residue left from peeling the label off jars by rubbing the leftover glue with a soft cloth soaked in vodka. You can also use this to dissolve the sticky residue that Band-Aids leave on your skin.
Preserve Razor Blades: After shaving, leave your blades in vodka for a while to disinfect and prevent them from rusting.
Treat Dandruff: Mix one cup vodka with two teaspoons crushed rosemary, then strain the mixture through a coffee cup filter and let it sit for two days before applying it to your head and letting the solution dry.

Remember, getting an inexpensive brand is key - you don't want to shill out big bucks and waste money on something you'll be wiping your windows with!

Source: Flickr User Darwin Bell

What to TiVo: Saturday

BuzzSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:59:28 PDT

7:00 The Ten Commandments

8:00 How I Met Your Mother (repeat)
8:30 Mike & Molly (repeat)
9:00 NCIS (repeat)
10:00 48 Hours Mystery (new)

8:00 Cops (new)
8:30 Cops (repeat)
9:00 Bones (repeat)

8:00 Escape Routes (new)
9:00 Betty White's Off Their Rockers (repeat)
9:30 Best Friends Forever (repeat)
10:00 Law & Order (repeat)
11:29 Saturday Night Live (new, with guests Sofia Vergara and One Direction)

21 Disposable Products You Can Reuse

Wise Bread — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:00:39 PDT

Even when the product is supposedly "disposable," you can always reuse it. Wise Bread shares awesome ways to reuse these 21 disposable products.

It’s said that we live in a disposable society. But the word "disposable" is a misnomer. Disposable is considered throwaway, something you use once and dump, regardless of the life that may be left in it. As a frugal shopper with a concern for the state of our environment, I think that just won’t do.

I often reuse many so-called “onetime-use” items, and I asked friends, family, and colleagues to tell me which disposable items they squeeze more life from. Here’s my list, including some of the surprising ideas I was given.

RELATED: 25 Things to Throw Out Today

1. Butter Wrappers

If you’re like most people, you unwrap your butter, pop the stick into your handy holder, and throw the wrapper away. But wait a second - instead of trashing the wrappers, keep them in a sandwich bag. The next time you need to grease a baking tray or dish, you’ve got something all ready to go.

Read on for more.

From the Community: Everything You Need to Know About CrossFit

Fit Community — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 01:22:23 PDT

FitSugar reader meetcasey interviewed CrossFit expert Robert Sax, owner of the CrossFit Amped Gym, and posted the Q&A in our Get Fit For 2012 community group. Check out what Robert had to say about this rising fitness trend!

Meet the Expert: Robert Sax

Can you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

I am 27 years old and a Capricorn (yes, that’s the goat). I’m originally from Portland, ME (the first Portland), and I currently live in Bellevue, WA. I graduated from Springfield College in Massachusetts with a BS in exercise science. I own CrossFit Amped, coach during the day, fight crime at night, and occasionally put down an entire jar of fresh-grind almond butter. Mmmmmm, fat!

What is CrossFit?

Textbook definition: it is constantly varied functional movements executed at a high intensity. CliffsNotes version: constantly changing workouts that involve body weight movements, gymnastics, aerobic and anaerobic training, Olympic lifting, power lifting, strongman movements, and anything else my twisted mind can conjure up! It is a universally scalable platform for exercise that allows any man or woman of any age and ability level to participate. I have worked with every walk of life and haven’t been stumped yet. In fact, I am currently coaching two men who are deaf, which was a challenge at first because of the amount of detail needed to comprehend and apply to certain movement patterns. Now it is no problem. In fact, I’ve learned some sign language because of it!

Learn more about what a CrossFit workout is and how it can change your body after the break

"Boyfriend Seeks Attention From Other Women"

Tres Community — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:05:00 PDT

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

My BF is one sweet, loving, sensitive and extremely romantic of a man. He tells me I am the first kind and sweet girl he has ever dated and most of his exes were these powerful but mean girls who allure and burn men in flames of their attraction at first but then suffocate them with being controlling and mean. He tells me he didn't love me like that at first, but did so in time.

Now my problem is, although I know that my BF will be hardly likely to develop any serious relationship with such women again, I feel that he STILL seeks their attention. It is nothing serious but it is like some kind of ego booster for him. I simply and easily tell him I love him, and I do it in a sincere way. But since those kind of women never show men their true feelings, I think this is why he gets excited when they show interest in him. He simply loves to be adored by women and he is really adorable, the kind of man who is so gentle that women fall for him easily.

I know everybody have their own flaws, and I know my BF will never choose to live his life with that kind of women, but it is really getting on my nerves every time he spends time to attract even older women of that specific kind. It is not like he leaves me alone in parties or social places, on the contrary he stands by my side and lets everyone know he is with me. He does not flirt, ever. But his way of talking gently attracts women and he enjoys that immensely. He even brags about how he is the center of attention when the room is full with women. I don't know if this is a problem or men are like this in general. I just know that it really bugs me to find him seeking that much attention.

Should I be alarmed? Any guy point of view is also appreciated.

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.

"I'm Having Doubts About My Boyfriend"

Tres Community — Tue, 06 Mar 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 with my boyfriend for about two months, and he's my first official boyfriend. I am 22, so that's a little weird, I know. When he asked me to be his girlfriend, it was about two weeks into dating, and I was just thrilled that someone finally wanted me. He's cute and so, so sweet to me and likes me a lot . . . never has he been anything but kind to me. We have a similar sense of humor and views on the world.

However, there are things that bug me about him, and it's mostly from my end. I don't feel superattracted to him (though I do think he's cute, there's just no . . . gut feeling, you know?) and I don't always look forward to seeing him (he's been bugging me lately . . . I'm bored, I guess). I think we've just gotten into a routine lately, already. I feel like he doesn't try that hard at some things in life? Like his appearance, and in bed . . . it's not terrible, but he doesn't try that hard, for me, and it makes me sad. I don't feel like we are that close, and I feel like he's OK with it. He's admitted to some severe depression in the past, and it makes me concerned about hurting him and causing him to go back into that. I do care about him, but I definitely think it's unbalanced, and I feel so guilty about that.

I don't know what I should be feeling or what I should do. I don't have a point of reference for this situation. I guess some guidance/advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to be cruel or do anything I regret. He's done nothing wrong, and I feel like sh*t for not being totally into him. Help!

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.

11 Rules to Dramatically Increase Your Productivity

Wise Bread — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:04 PST

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

There's a problem with a lot of productivity advice out there, and it's this - your "rules" for personal productivity are often going to be different than mine. Sure, sometimes there's overlap. Sure, you can always learn from others.

But if you want to see a dramatic increase in your productivity, spend less time reading and memorizing other people's rules, and more time figuring out what your own rules are. You'll be more productive and in a way that works with who you are.

So I'm sharing a few of my personal productivity rules. Maybe some of them will work for you or inspire you to think of your own.

1. Small Daily Movements Become Big Accomplishments

I tend to think that I must have big blocks of time in order to get any forward movement. So I hesitate and procrastinate, waiting for that "open time" when I can really push and get a lot done on whatever the current project is.

Turns out, that's a waste of time. Small daily movements add up. It's just that the movements or steps themselves are so small, I think they don't count. They do.

I have to constantly remind myself that I don't need a whole day or a whole week to devote to some project. I just need to take the 10 or 20 minutes I have here and there and use them. I need to achieve a little bit of forward movement every day. That adds up, and it builds momentum, and pretty soon there's been quite a lot accomplished.

For more rules, read after the jump.

Jennifer Morrison Talks About the Fairy Tale She Wants on Once Upon a Time and Emma's New Love Interest

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:34:19 PST

Jennifer Morrison plays Emma on Once Upon a Time, the show's reluctant heroine who has been chosen to break the curse of a town full of fairy-tale characters. I chatted with Morrison about the series, and I had to know how she felt about Graham's shocking death and whether we'll ever see him again. We also discussed the upcoming tales we'll get to see on the show, including the story Morrison would love to see play out. Read my interview below, and if you want to catch up with the show, you can watch episodes online here.

BuzzSugar: We were really upset when Graham died; were you sad when you found out it was going to happen?
Jennifer Morrison: Well, we knew what was coming in the story line since the beginning of the season. But all of us were upset because we love Jamie Dornan, and I thought he was just absolutely fabulous in the show. We all were very close, you know? So it felt like a huge loss, not just on the show, but just personally. We were all really close friends, and we still feel that loss. It feels weird with him not being in Vancouver with us.

Buzz: Is there any way that Dornan might return?
JM: The thing is, just because he died in reality doesn't mean that he can't return as the huntsman, because those are flashbacks. So, depending on the structure of the show, and the story we decide to tell, as far as I understand, there's room for him to exist still in fairy-tale land.

Buzz: With him gone, is Emma getting another love interest?
JM: Well, this last episode that aired, there's a stranger that comes to town, played by Eion Bailey, who is in that very last scene in that last episode that aired. I don't know for sure where they're cutting this at, but I know that there is a possibility that this stranger in town could somehow be connected to Emma at some point. Beyond that, I don't really know.

To find out what else Morrison said about the show, including the fairy tale she hopes to see on Once Upon a Time, just keep reading.

Start 2012 Off Right! 3 Ways to Improve Your Health, Now

Leta Shy — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:35:23 PST

Being fit and healthy may be at the top of your resolutions for New Year's, but that doesn't mean you should ignore your health now while 2011 dwindles down. Instead, remind yourself that the last days of the year are the perfect time to start (or continue) your healthy run. As the year comes to an end, be sure you are doing these simple things to be your healthiest.

Fight stress: The gift-giving may be over, but the end-of-year wrap-up can still leave you feeling hurried, rushed, or stressed. Make sure you take breaks in your day to relax and do something you enjoy to prevent burn out. High levels of daily stress negatively affect your quality of life, so make happiness a priority by relieving stress and you'll be healthier overall.

Exercise and sleep: For many, the Winter season means regularly combating sniffles and sneezes. Nip that cold in the bud before it affects you by exercising at least 30 minutes a day as well as catching up on your sleep. Getting quality sleep and exercise will help keep your immunity revved up and ready to battle the season's nastiest bugs.

Eat for your health: You are what you eat, so make it count. Make sure you are eating enough fresh produce, since fruits and vegetables are jam-packed with the nutrients you should be getting every day. If you're not sure what you're eating, keep our chart of your recommended daily intake of nutrients handy, and track your eating habits in a journal or online so you know where to fill in the holes to reach your nutrition goals.