BuzzSugar

Does Turning a Blog Into a Book Make Sense?

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:30:09 PDT

The fella behind the ubiquitous blog Stuff White People Like has published a book based on the blog. I've been interested in how this might turn out and stumbled across this review of the book in Variety:

Anyone who reads Stuff White People Like without perusing the blog it is based upon first, might well wonder what all the fuss is about. Stripped of the blog's media riffs, hyperlinks and swiped photos - its very blogginess - the tome must rely on the wit and insight of its "research findings," and there's not much of that.

This review taps into something I've been suspecting: that a blog format isn't necessarily all that translatable to books. The Fug Girls have a book out and I have to say, while I love their blog, I'm not sure I'd like it in book form.

What do you think? Are you hesitant to buy a blog in book form? Or do you think the mediums complement each other well?

9 Easy Tricks to Maximize Your Wardrobe

LearnVest — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:15:31 PDT

Despite what you think, you actually don't need more clothes. The trick is to just maximize your wardrobe. LearnVest shares how.

Whether you live for shopping the latest trends or wish you could spend every day in your favorite pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, your clothes project a message about who you are.

The great thing is that you have the power to control that message entirely - as long as what you already own isn’t standing in your way.

From having a wardrobe that’s bursting with every item of clothing you’ve had since childhood to owning a ton of pieces that you never wear (the definition of wasted money), these are the ways your closet can stop you from being the most stylish version of yourself.

To cut through the clutter and help you get the most from the items you already have, we polled everyone we know - including all of the LearnVest editors, who are definitely invested in looking their best on a budget, and one fashion expert - to come up with nine easy, inventive ways for you to make over the closet you have without spending a ton on new trends.

At least one of these strategies will dramatically change the way you feel about getting dressed in the morning.

1. Follow the Rainbow

This strategy comes courtesy of LearnVest reader Erin Greenbaum, who has used this technique for years with great success. Every day for a week, make sure that your ensemble includes an item of a certain color: week one is red, two is orange, three is yellow, etc. This will encourage you to search through your closet and actually wear the pieces that have been languishing, unloved, underneath your go-to items.

2. First In, Last Out

In her new book, You Are What You Wear, Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner says that the majority of people wear 20 percent of their closet 80 percent of the time. There are variations on this “first in, last out” wardrobe strategy, which prevent you from wearing a few pieces nonstop.

Instead of wearing the same small percentage of your closet every week, do what Assistant Editor Alden Wicker does: after wearing an outfit, she hangs it in the most remote corner of her closet, which forces her to see only pieces she hasn’t worn frequently. If she’s totally uninspired by a piece staring her right in the face, she has to decide whether to consign it or not. Another approach (which might be better if you like to organize by item type - dresses near dresses, shirts near shirts) is to hang each item inside out after you wear it (assuming you don’t have to wash it immediately). This way, you can easily see which pieces you’ve recently worn and which items you may have forgotten about.

Read on for more.

LilSugar's Baby Registry Essentials

LilSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:56:34 PDT

It's amazing just how much stuff a person as tiny as a newborn baby needs. But as anyone who's gone through it before can tell you, babies are high-maintenance little people! If you're lucky enough to have friends and family who want to gift the new addition, they'll likely be looking to rely on your registry.

Consider registering at a larger, all-inclusive baby store, like Giggle or Buy Buy Baby in addition to a smaller, local specialty shop to provide the greatest variety in terms of projects. Sites like MyRegistry.com and AmazingRegistry.com allow you to create a customized registry from a variety of different online sources, making them a great option when family and friends are spread out around the country. Make sure that you get the most out of your registry by following our guide to everything you need to bring home baby!

LilSugar's Registry Must Haves
Every mom (and every baby) is different, and while we recommend using our list as a starting point, it really helps to see products in person, and talk to other new parents to find out exactly what worked for them. While this list encompasses what we believe to be the essentials, don't be shy about adding on some "just for fun" selections as well. If there's a piggy bank or stuffed animal that you've been coveting, go ahead and put it on there - people love gifting pretty presents. Happy registering!

At Home and on the Go
The amount of living/storage space that you have available should be a factor when making your decisions about whether you need a bouncy seat, playmat, and swing. When it comes to selecting a stroller, think about how soon you may be considering baby #2 - if it's within a year or two, you'll want to check out double strollers or convertible options. And now's a good time to think ahead to a toddler car seat (if you have room to stash it).

Stroller (or two)
Stroller Blanket
Footmuff or Bunting
Infant Car Seat
Toddler Car Seat
Swing and/or Bouncy Sea
Portable Crib
Carrier or Sling
Tummy Time Mat or Blankets

Layette (and Beyond)
You'll quickly learn that people love buying itty bitty baby clothes . . . but the 0- to 3-month wardrobe doesn't last very long! Register for a variety of outfits for baby's first year, but not beyond that. Since you don't know how quickly he/she will grow, it's hard to forecast what your needs will be for more than a year out.

Receiving Blankets
Swaddling Blankets
Side-Snap Undershirts
Coming Home Outfit
Onesies
Rompers
Sweaters
Sun Hats and Beanies
Socks
Sleep Gowns

Keep reading for the rest of our registry essentials!

The Vampire Diaries "Break on Through": The Good, the Bad, and the Bloody

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:30:14 PDT

Like last week, this week's episode of The Vampire Diaries is pretty underwhelming again, and again, I blame the lack of Klaus. Where is he hiding? The episode instead focuses on Alaric and his uncontrollable urge to kill innocent people, and Damon's old pal Sage, who's on the hunt for her old flame, original vampire Finn.

There's not so much excitement this week, except for one extended, and very memorable Damon shower scene (which obviously makes the good category of the week), so let's get down to talking about the good, the blood, and the bloody after the jump.

5 Tips on Cooking Healthy For One

Lizzie Fuhr — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 05:31:32 PDT

After YumSugar reader Dreamalittledream asked for some advice on cooking healthy for one, we got to thinking. It's definitely easier to stay committed to healthy cooking when you've got people to share it with - or a few mouths to feed! - but cooking for yourself need not be a lonely or trying experience. In need of some inspiration? Look no further. We've got you covered with five helpful tips:

Get that pantry stocked with good stuff. While your pantry can hold plenty of chips, cookies, and candy, it's time to make space for the new kids in town. Say good-bye to just sugar and white flour, and make new friends with ancient grains, dried beans, and delicious nuts. If you keep a solid assortment of these things you like, you'll never be in a bind for healthful and delicious choices.
Leftovers can be your friend, not your foe. I too know the hardships of looking at old leftovers in my fridge and doing my best to make them look delicious. Instead of just heating them up, think outside the box! If you have half of a chicken sandwich on bread or salad that's too soggy for your taste, heat up the chicken with some rice and vegetables. I typically make a big pot of soup at the beginning of the week that I enjoy all week long.

Want to learn more? Just keep reading.

Eating Tips From The Bigger Loser's Former Nutritionist

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:17:18 PST

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

When Cheryl Forberg - registered dietitian, James Beard award-winning chef, and creator of The Biggest Loser meal plan - signed onto the show for its first season, she was shocked at the contestants' states of health. "Most of what I did was not on camera; at the beginning of every season, the applicant pool was huge. Season five alone had 220,000 applicants. Once we weeded applicants out down to about 75, we could start doing physical tests while I met with them to talk about eating habits and their weight loss and weight gain tendencies," she said. "The first season was shocking to hear their eating habits, but after a few seasons, I realized I was hearing the same thing over and over again."

Read below as Forberg shares her experiences with The Biggest Loser, the nutrition factors she used to make the meal plan, and a healthy spread you can make easily at home.

What were you most surprised to discover about with the diets of the past contestants on The Biggest Loser?

I found all the contestants had things in common, like the belief that skipping meals promotes weight loss, drinking too many calories, having too much processed fast food, not eating very many fruits and vegetables, little to no water consumption, not eating enough whole grains, and forgetting to plan ahead. Everybody had a different combination of one these things, but what they all had in common was prioritizing their family, work, or something else over themselves. They needed to put their head in the game and get healthy so that they could be around to take care of the people and things they loved. They needed to start taking care of themselves.

More healthy eating tips after the break.

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.

3 Things to Avoid When You're Having Your Picture Taken

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 06:00:06 PST

Most of us have our pictures taken pretty often. And while most people have a "good side" or a smile they tend to fall back on, it's far less common to see someone who has a makeup and hair philosophy for photos. You don't have to rush off to the bathroom to make yourself over every time someone whips out a camera, but there are a few things you'll want to steer clear of if you know you're going to be within a lens's scope. See our quick rundown on what not to do.

The Truth About the Health Benefits of Tea

Health — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:13:17 PST

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

Tea - does it really fight cancer? Lower cholesterol? We filter the research to find out which health claims actually hold water.
By Kate Lowenstein

The way scientific studies and health gurus alike have touted the perks of tea over the past few years, you'd think the stuff was some kind of all-powerful magical elixir. Improving heart health, reducing cancer risk, warding off dementia and diabetes - there's barely a health benefit that hasn't been credited to tea. It's true that the brew has disease-fighting antioxidants, and, as far as anyone can tell, should be great for us.

"The science is certainly promising," says David L. Katz, MD, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "But the hype goes beyond it and tends to make promises which the science can't yet deliver." (No, tea probably will not cure depression, eliminate allergies, or boost your fertility!) We talked to the experts and weighed the studies to separate the truth from the hype.

Health.com: Drink This Tea to Lose That Belly

Why tea is so hot
First, a definition: When scientists talk about tea, they mean black, green, white, or oolong teas - all of which are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal brews, like chamomile and peppermint, are not technically considered tea; they're infusions of other plants with different nutritional characteristics. If you're not sure what kind you're drinking, check the ingredients for the word "tea."

Keep reading to learn even more about tea.

25 Things to Do With Old Jeans

Wise Bread — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:00:46 PST

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

Recycling fabric is a powerful green living and cost saving strategy. Denim is one of the coolest fabrics to do it with. It's sturdy, gains character with age and can be acquired very inexpensively at yard sales or in your own "old clothes" closet. Some of the coolest ideas I've found?

Pot holders. In my opinion, these look far better out of used denim than the new stuff. And you can incorporate your own style via choice of trim or a patch stitched to the outside. Here's a link to some tips for making your own.
Cool quilts. You can do this in many forms. Different shades of denim patchwork options abound and are certainly sturdy and fun. Unfortunately, one of the coolest ideas I've ever seen I've been unable to find pictures of. It was done with pieced denim, but they had left on all the details like pockets, buttons, belt loops, etc. It made for a really fabulous unique quilt with a lot of attitude. If anyone has a link to a picture of one of these, please post below in the comments section.

For more ideas, read on.