BuzzSugar

North Wears a Tie and Lives "The Good Life"

PetSugar — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:03 PDT

My ever-dapper lil gentleman looks even more so with this new collar I picked up at The Hip Hound in Portland over the weekend! I mean, seriously, how much more adoro can he possibly get?I first mentioned these cute tie collars from The Good Life a while back, so it's about time I bought one of my his very own. Since he would sport both a harness and a collar for walkies, it makes a nice addition on special occasions – he got even more awwwws from strangers last night than he usually does . . . and that's saying a lot.

I couldn't resist making him pose for the camera and I think he has both regal and lazy down pat!

Check out a bunch of cute piccys when you read more.

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Kanye's Living "The Good Life" Today

Molly — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:29:18 PDT

After a week chock full of excitement, Kanye is still going strong, this time releasing his newest video off Graduation for "The Good Life" (feat. T-Pain). Awww, look! MTV named it as their jam of the week - must be part of that metaphoric olive branch they're extending to Kanye after he pledged to boycott the network post VMAs.

In case you somehow missed that tantrum (how?) - it was typical Kanye babyness. He is having the last laugh, though. Initial (and unofficial) numbers are projecting what you predicted correctly: Kanye will outsell 50 Cent in the first week. Did you buy any of the new music yesterday?

To see the video for "The Good Life" and hear a little more of what I think of it just

read more Hopefully this will put the moody rapper in good spirits for his Emmy performance (featuring Rainn Wilson - awesome) this Sunday. Oh, and about this video, I think it's pretty aesthetically pleasing and the song just makes me smile. Another win for Kanye. You? Source

2007 Sundance Film Festival: Dramedies

BuzzSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:29:21 PST

The stars seem to be having a great time at the Sundance Film Festival, which kicked off last Thursday in Park City, Utah. You've seen my picks for some of the most promising comedies and dramas at this year's festival, and now it's time for my third installment: dramedies.

One of my favorite dramedies of all time is last year's Little Miss Sunshine. It encapsulated so many aspects of the human experience that I laughed, I cried, I danced to "Superfreak." Perhaps one of these films will be this year's Little Miss Sunshine.

If I Had Known I Was A Genius
Michael (Markus Redmond) is a precocious African-American boy with a genius IQ, struggling to fit in at school and deal with his dysfunctional family. His mother (Whoopi Goldberg) and other family consistently challenge Michael's sense of self-worth, refusing to encourage his abilities. But he finds a mentor in his wacky drama teacher, who gives him the courage to dream of becoming an actor.

Three more, so

read more The Good Life The Good Life tells the story of small-town soul suffocation through the eyes of Jason Prayer (Mark Webber). Jason works two jobs, is regularly bullied, and finds his only relief in the old town cinema, which is on its last legs - as is its owner, Gus (Harry Dean Stanton). His listless routine gets a shock, however, when a stranger (Zooey Deschanel) comes to town and turns around his desperate life. Bill Paxton and Chris Klein also star. Delirious Steve Buscemi has been in countless films, but rarely does he play anything but the weirdo or the hapless goofball. So it's refreshing to see him have a hand in different projects that focus on him instead of shoving him to the periphery of the movie's storyline. In Delirious, Buscemi plays Les, a paparazzo who befriends the amiable and homeless Toby (Michael Pitt). Toby learns firsthand about the world of sleazily staking out celebrities and, in the midst of chasing down photo ops, falls for sexy pop tart K'harma (Alison Lohman). Les grows jealous of Toby's romance, and their friendship is called into question. The Savages The synopsis for this movie on the Sundance site calls it a "coming-of-middle-age" film. A brother and sister (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney) suddenly find themselves having to take care of their ill, aging father, a man who never seemed to care for them. Though stories of youthful growing pains are plentiful, it's refreshing to see a tale about the challenges facing adult children of aging parents, and it's likely to resonate with audiences just as much.

Ginnifer and Chris Should Take Grand Jury Prize For Cuteness

PopSugar — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:31:18 PST

Ginnifer and Chris are clearly not afraid to show the world how cute they are. When we stumbled across these pics we just about ahhhhed ourselves to death. They're obviously having a great time at Sundance. Chris is there to promote his film The Good Life which co-stars Zooey Deschanel. In the film he plays a scary sociopath, which is definitely a change from the sweethearted jock we are used to seeing. Looks like he's trying to keep from being typecast (or trying to break away from it).

For lots more pics of the cutefest just

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Would You Want to be as Successful as Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg?

Emily Co — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:34:15 PST

Many of us look up to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg as a role model because she's one of the most successful female business leaders of our time. She's consistently ranked by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in the world and she's estimated to be worth a cool $1.6 billion. She's the face of women trying to crack the glass ceiling, and with so many glowing praises showered on Sandberg, I was surprised to see career blogger Penelope Trunk make the bold statement that "very few women want to be Sandberg." Trunk explains:

"Sandberg wants to be a role model for women who want big, exciting careers. But here’s the problem: women don't want to be Sandberg. It’s no coincidence that the number one woman on the list of self-made millionaires is Oprah. She has no kids and no husband. She’s fascinating, nice, and smart. But few of us would really enjoy her life.

Sandberg and Oprah represent extreme choices in life. The things they give up are not things that most women would want to give up in exchange for the wild career success they could have . . . You can't have small kids and a startup if you want to see your kids."

Everyone has a different definition of what it means to "make it." In fact, success for many women doesn't mean climbing the corporate ladder; it's having a good work-life balance, according to a More magazine survey. The Facebook executive may be one of the wealthiest women around, but her intensive job may leave her with less time to spend with her two kids and husband. What about you - would you want to be as successful as Sheryl Sandberg?

Savvy Links: Surprising Stuff You Can Get For Free

Emily Co — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:00:25 PST

Surprising stuff you can get for free - Real Simple
6 adorable gifts for the women in your life - HuffPost Women
How to date a Wall Street woman - The Jane Dough
Valentine’s Day recipes your budget will love - LearnVest
Why a million dollars should be laughed at - Budgets Are Sexy
7 frugal myths debunked - Wise Bread
Why you should spend Valentine’s Day alone - Credit Karma
Good news! Not everything is taxed - Bankrate

What Is Twig Tea, Anyway?

Camilla Salem — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:45:16 PST

Alicia Silverstone claims that twig tea, also called kukicha, cures just about everything. And we've been noticing it appearing in more and more stores (we also saw it a few times at the Fancy Food Show). But what's the deal with all of the hype?

Twig tea is essentially a Japanese blend of the tough stems, stalks, and twigs from the Camellia sinensis plant. These bits usually get discarded, but when they're saved, toasted, and steeped in water, kukicha is formed. The flavor is nutty and slightly creamy, and since most of the caffeine is stored in the leaves of the plant, you won't get the same buzz from a cup of this stuff as you would a cup of green or black tea, so this is a great option for anyone trying to eliminate caffeine from his or her life. Its alkalizing properties and low caffeine level also make it a beverage of choice for the macrobiotic diet.

Kukicha tastes deliciously rich and toasted, which is the perfect way to start your day (in fact, there is a quality about it that reminds me of a good cup of coffee). Steep your twig tea in freshly boiled water for four to five minutes. Have you ever tried it?

What to Expect When You're Expecting Set Visit: Elizabeth Banks on Her Fake Bump and Personal Baby Joy

Becky Kirsch — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:05:11 PST

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood will share the big screen in the upcoming comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting, which follows different mothers-to-be as they prepare for the arrivals of their bundles of joy. Cameron Diaz, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, and Elizabeth Banks are among the famous ladies who strapped on fake baby bumps to portray different kinds of pregnant women, and Banks's character, Wendy, doesn't exactly have an easy time of it.

I visited the Atlanta set of the film last year, where Banks was shooting a climactic scene in which her character addresses all the woes of pregnancy - in an auditorium with a rather large audience. The hilarious meltdown, which you can see in the opening of the trailer for What to Expect When You're Expecting, includes harsh truths like "I'm calling it: pregnancy sucks." It was great fun to see Banks film the passionate speech again and again, especially since the funny lady mixed up her one-liners from one take to another. What was even more interesting was seeing all of the extras who played the audience members, since the group of women was a mix of actual pregnant women and women rocking fake baby bumps.

I chatted with Banks about her own experience filming the movie, and she revealed that she actually felt like she was in her own little movie, since she doesn't have much screen time with her costars. Banks was refreshingly honest about not having any parenting tips and also admitted that though welcoming her son, Felix, has brought her a great deal of joy, it hasn't changed her stance on how she feels about kids in general. Here's more of what Banks had to say about pregnancy and motherhood:

What inspired you to take this role?
Elizabeth Banks: I cried when I read the script. It has a really great ending: at the end of the movie, everybody has a baby! It really is just a very relatable story for everyone: anybody who is a parent, has considered being a parent, has a baby, whatever. It's just very universal, what happens in the film. We really explore so many great storylines and different paths to getting a child. I had a unique path to getting my son, so I understand how everybody's path to their child is different.

How does it feel to wear the bump?
EB: It's sweaty! [Laughs] I think it's probably a decent approximation; it weighs a good 10 lbs. The boobs weigh about 6 lbs. They are really unbelievable. It's fun. It definitely makes you sit and walk in a totally different way. As an actor, it's a great prop.

How did you change when you became a mom?
EB: I get drunk much faster and easier, and it's a big problem, so I can't go out very much. I find that I underestimated the amount of joy. I'm really learning about my capacity for joy through my son.

To see what Banks had to say about baby fever and her parenting tips, just keep reading.

Gas Prices Are Up! What You Can Do to Save

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:20:33 PST

Unrest in the Middle East and the closing of American refineries have gas prices going up, up, and away for US consumers. Analysts are predicting that the prices may continue to rise.

But don't worry, there are a number of methods to save on refueling your car. Here are some tips:

Spend to Save: Look for deals around you that will help you save on your gas. For example, you can choose to frequent wholesale stores like Costco, which will give you a little bit of cash back on Costco gas. If you're a real gas guzzler, check out this full list of gas rebate cards on CreditCards.com.
Don't Top It Off: Topping off your gas may result in a higher gas bill, because you might be paying for gas that goes back into the station's tanks after your gas tank is full, says the Environmental Protection Agency. You can also ruin your car's vapor recovery system if there is no room for the gas to expand in your tank.
Smooth Trip: Starting and stopping excessively can shorten the life of your engine, transmission, brakes, and tires. Go easy on your braking and accelerating. Remember to also turn off your engine if you know you'll be waiting for a long while. Staying put without moving means you're getting 0 miles per gallon.

For more gas-saving tips, read on.

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.