CasaSugar

Meet Our New Food and Entertaining Video Channel, YumTV!

partysugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:43:19 -0800

I'm a huge fan of PopSugar Rush and BellaTV - that's why it brings me great honor to introduce our new food-related video channel, YumTV! We're creating an exciting lineup of original shows that will debut every week. YumTV is your ultimate guide to all things food, drink, and entertaining. We'll show you how to throw the perfect party, cook killer apps, browse the farmers markets, shake up creative cocktails, and much more!

In today's first episode, we talk about one of the most important side dishes of the Thanksgiving meal, mashed potatoes. To learn how to add a punch of color to our basic mashed potatoes recipe, watch YumTV now!

Casa Quickie: Shut 'em Down

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:30:31 -0700

If you have a guest bedroom or storage space that you rarely use, keep that room off your Winter heating radar. Do so by closing the heating vents in the room, and closing the door. Use a draft blocker on the door to prevent the room's cold air from seeping into other rooms of your house.

Another good idea? Close closet doors in any room this Winter, since there's no need to heat closet space!

Casa Quickie: Shaving Cream in Unexpected Places

CasaSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:30:28 -0700

Fed up with a foggy bathroom mirror? Then add some shaving cream. As odd as it sounds, using some cheap, white foaming shaving cream can keep your bathroom mirror from fogging while you shower.

For best results, use your hand or a soft cloth to rub a light layer of shaving cream onto your mirror. With a dry towel, wipe off any excess cream. Don't use water to do this, as it will cut down on the cream's efficacy. With some luck, this will help keep your mirror fog-free for at least a week.

5 Common Myths About Going Green at Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:07 -0700

One of my favorite resources, This Old House, recently updated readers on 10 myths about green living at home. Definitely read all of This Old House's advice on the topic - you may be surprised! Here are the five myths that I thought would most interest Casa readers.

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How-To: Be a Better Laundress

CasaSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Tired of pulling laundry out of the dryer and seeing that it's frayed or faded? Have you dyed your honey's tighty whities an embarrassing shade of pink? Don't worry, there's hope for you yet! You can still be an absolutely fabulous home laundress, when you use these tips.

Button-up pants and shirts, close zippers, and turn garments inside out to reduce wear from laundering.
Check for stains after washing and before drying, because drying sets the stains.
Don't use hot water unless you're washing items you believe must be absolutely clean and disinfected. Hot water wears down fibers.

For the rest of the tips, read more.

Don't bleach wool, silk, or garments with more than 5 percent spandex.
White sheets made of cotton not treated for wrinkles look best longest.
Inspect and pretreat stains and soils with liquid detergent. Use a bleach pen for pretreating stained white areas of garments with stripes or patterns.
Always wash garments with like colors to avoid those pink-stained whites! However, if you're washing in cold water, your clothes' colors are much less likely to run.
If you have a lot of loads, sort items into further subcategories, such as into heavy and light clothing.
Avoid fabric softener, since it leaves a coating on clothes. Use dryer sheets instead. Or, for the lightest impact on your clothing, avoid the dryer altogether and hang your clothes.

Source: Flickr User skenmy

How-To: Make Your Bedroom Perfect For Sleeping

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Is your bedroom less than relaxing? Want to figure out how to make it a place of comfort and relaxation? Then take a look at my tips!

Keep your bedroom tidy. Clutter, piles, and messes can stress you out and remind you of tasks that need to be finished. By keeping everything in its place (or at least out of sight), you'll immediately feel calmer.
Paint your bedroom a relaxing color. Blues, grays, neutrals, and lavenders are good choices for the bedroom.
Banish your television and laptop. Surfing the net and watching television in bed can lead to physical and mental health issues, including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. So keep the laptop in your office and the television in the living room, out of temptation's path.

For the rest of my tips, just read more.

Pick a comfortable mattress. Even better, pick a green mattress.
Keep your bedding clean. Wash your sheets once a week in hot water, which will kill dust mites. Dust mites can exacerbate allergies and respiratory issues.
Use blinds or curtains that allow in the right amount of light. If you work a late shift, you'll want to invest in blinds that completely shut out the sun. Otherwise, try to let in natural light in the mornings; it will help to wake you up naturally (when you don't have to get up with an alarm, that is).
Dress your bed with soft linens, and choose sheets with a high thread count.

Source

Garden Therapy: Top 4 Ways to Improve Your Lawn

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:00:10 -0700

While some of us have turned our lawns into gardens, the majority of homeowners still have turf in their yards (yours truly included). Keeping your lawn looking its best isn't rocket science, but there are some basic things you should do to keep it looking tip-top. Luckily, the smart folks at Gardeners, my favorite gardening company, have shared all you need to know to keep your lawn in great shape. Check out the tips, and then read the entire article for even more details.

Source: Getty

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10 Ways to Californify Your Crib

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:00:30 -0700

In the July issue of SELF Magazine, the mag's associate features editor, Cristina Tudino, hooked up with Los Angeles interior designers Kristen Buckingham and Tracy Hutson to share their easy ideas for creating a cozy-chic pad that will bring the sunshine outside into your home. As Tracy and Kristen prove with their quick and easy tips, you don’t have to spend a ton of money to add a little of the Golden State to your home.
Source

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5 Alternative Uses For Candles

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Candlesticks, candelabras, floating candles . . . there are plenty of ways to use candles to light your home and, beyond that, unlimited types of candles to use. But that's not all they're good for. There are a handful of other purposes for candles around your home that have nothing to do with combating darkness. You may be surprised at how useful they can be.

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Thom Filicia's Top Tips For Design

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:00:07 -0800

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview Dress My Nest host Thom Filicia. Thom, who recently authored Thom Filicia Style, talked about his experience making over The View's dressing rooms. Thom also appeared on the show to promote the Kimberly-Clark Room-a-Day Giveaway, which gives 16 participants the chance to each win a $25,000 room makeover. Thom also shared his personal philosophies for creating cohesive and beautiful rooms. Thom's style, which blends relaxed elegance with each client's individual sense of style, seemed to be a perfect resource for CasaSugar readers interested in making over their own homes. You can peruse some of Thom's design tips from his new book when you read more.

Mix Timeless and Timely: Timeless is a fresh look at traditional design and timely is a more livable version of what we know as modern design. Pair a classic rug with more contemporary furniture. When Timeless and Timely pieces are used together you’ll create an interesting, eclectic room that’s entirely your own.
Color Your World: There’s nothing that will transform your space as easily and affordably as paint. When looking to refresh your world, bring in your favorite color with the ease of a roller. And when looking to strengthen the foundation of your room bring in a stylish and bold rug layered on your basic wall to wall carpet. Pick colors that suit your personality. When painting a room don’t be afraid to be bold and choose the colors you love, not colors that are safe. And remember, a fresh coat of white paint can bring an old piece of furniture back to life and help it fit in anywhere.
Decorate Outside the Box: Don’t allow a home’s architecture to limit your decorating options. Just because your house is a colonial, it doesn't mean that you have to decorate like you’re a pilgrim. Your interior should speak as much about you as it does about your architecture, so be free in making choices and make sure your home tells your personal story.
Personalize Your Space: Your home should be an extension of your personality and reflect your individual aesthetic. Personalizing your space is key to any successful design. Choose artwork and accessories from throw pillows, to books, to picture frames, and interesting objects and artwork that collectively tells your story and make you smile.
Well Read: Layering your room with books is a great way to add depth, color, and visual textures. A stack of books can make a great, interesting little side table.
Lose the Matchy Matchiness: Each piece you select in a room should have character, be eye-catching, and tell your story. It doesn’t matter if your furniture, artwork, and textiles are collected during exotic trips or sourced from
local design shops. As long as the overall look is original with intriguing juxtapositions and unexpected contrasts you’ll create a room that is interesting, unique, and beautiful.

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