TresSugar

McDonald's Sneaks Around the Happy Meal Ban

Emily Co — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:33:31 PST

It seems that fast-food giants are finding a way to scoot around San Francisco's new ordinance that bans restaurants from serving free toys with meals over 600 calories. McDonald's has decided to charge a dime to customers who would like the toy with their Happy Meals, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

The proceeds earned from the Happy Meals will go towards building a Ronald McDonald House, which will house families with sick children temporarily at the UCSF hospital. This is a clever move as well, because knowing that the money is going to charity might make people more inclined to pay for the toy.

I admit, the lawmakers had good intentions when they passed the ordinance - they wanted to combat child obesity, a crippling problem that has tripled in just 30 years. Supervisor Eric Mar, the chief sponsor of the law, has said that he wanted this to incentivize restaurant chains to provide healthier options to kids.

Many of you had something to say about the Happy Meal ban. A couple of readers agreed with the comment that the "reason why kids are obese is due to bad parenting . . . not the availability of Happy Meals." Others cheered this law, saying, "It's commendable that they're actually taking on such a huge company in the name of good health."

It seems like corporations will always find the loopholes in laws and find a way to sneak around ones that cut into their profits. What do you think of this new development?

Dog Gets A Happy Meal

GiggleSugar — Fri, 25 May 2007 08:00:00 PDT

Would you like fries with that?

Source

Having Already Conquered the World, "Idol" Takes on McDonald's

BuzzSugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:28:35 PDT

Mamas, if you don't want your babies to grow up to be "American Idol" worshipers, you might want to steer clear of McDonald's for a while. Starting tomorrow, "Idol"-themed toys will be showing up in the kiddos' Happy Meals.

Among the options: a teensy microphone, a non-functional fake iPod, a rockin' star-shaped guitar, and sunglasses - because obviously, the "Idol" hopefuls are too bright to look at without shades. Oh, and that weird thing at the far right? That's the applause-o-matic, which, frankly, explains a lot. Not pictured: a Madonna-style pop star headset.

My favorite is the microphone, which is officially called the "judgmental mic" and issues one of three verdicts on your singing: "Off da hook," "You're going to Hollywood," or "You're the next American Idol!" Apparently, "pitchy" didn't make the cut.

For a better food-related "Idol" fix, check out Yum's "Idol" baking contest. I can't wait to see your Sanjaya cakes!

Source

Funny or Scary? Competitive Eating Contests

GiggleSugar — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 11:06:16 PST

You are witnessing a clinically sane man on his way to eating 99 hamburgers in 8 minutes. Have people learned nothing from Fast Food Nation?!

Giggle Girls, what do you think? Is competitive eating...

Hysteria Director Tanya Wexler Talks Vibrators, Faking It, and Duck Sex

Tara Block — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:00:15 PDT

Don't be shy . . . It's time to talk sex toys! And Hysteria director Tanya Wexler is writing us a prescription for pleasure. Tanya's film - what she calls "the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to" - is in limited release and stars Hugh Dancy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Rupert Everett. When working on a romantic comedy that centers around the invention of the vibrator, you end up with some entertaining and embarrassing situations along the way, and lucky for us, Tanya spilled all the hilariously dirty details. From teaming up with the film's partner Jimmyjane for a drive-by vibrator drop-off to a certain female Oscar-winner to trying unsuccessfully to get ducks to shag on command, Tanya was bursting with great stories from working on this very unconventional film. And while Tanya isn't ashamed to discuss the sexy subject matter of her latest film with us, the mother of four and her partner of 21 years did have a tricky challenge telling her preteen kids what her movie was about. (She eventually gave them the script and let them figure it out themselves!) Check out our interview with the fun-loving director now, and we dare you not to have a girl crush on her by the end!

TrèsSugar: What were some of the challenges to getting a movie made about vibrators?
Tanya Wexler: Getting the script right was tricky because if you just make a movie about the invention of the vibrator, it's actually a really short movie: you go "bzz" and it's done. And we had a kind of light romantic comedy. I say I made the vibrator movie you can bring your mom to. But some people wanted it to be raunchy or some people wanted it to be more serious and about feminism. People project a lot onto this movie of what they want, because there isn't a lot out there about vibrators and women's pleasure, and we still don't really deal with that topic very well, or we're overly antsy around it. And as a result, people have a lot of ideas of what the movie could and should be, and you can't please everyone. [laughs]

TS: Ha, good one.
TW: It's nonstop!

TS: Do you find sex toys inherently funny or something to be seriously celebrated?
TW: Yes!

TS: Both?
TW: Yes! Yes. I think they make me laugh, and I think that the inner kind of Beavis and Butt-head in all of us goes "[laugh]." You know, that inner 13-year-old, like, "Hahaha vibrator . . . " and yet they're awesome and fun.

TS: What shocked you the most when researching the movie?
TW: That ducks are the rapists of the bird world, and you'll see when you see the movie, because there's a little bit of questionable duck behavior - or awesome duck behavior - in the movie. It's totally a sidebar, but you cannot make ducks shag on command. I'm just saying.

TS: What about the whole history of hysteria being a medical condition?
TW: When I first heard the idea, I was like, "What do you mean it was invented in Victorian times?" I knew about hysteria, but the idea that the treatment was manual [British accent] massage deparaxism - which is what they called it - and, of course, the denial. The most shocking thing is the denial, that they didn't think it was sexual.

TS: Do you think they were really in denial?
TW: No, I don't think that some people were. My college roommate was with her high school boyfriend for two years and she had never had an orgasm. I think there's all kinds of denial, especially with women's sexuality. So the fact that there are young women today who haven't had an orgasm, whether self-induced - which is insane - or with a partner, then why wouldn't we think back then that women wouldn't know what orgasms were?

They would get a massage, and the doctor's saying, "Without a penis, this isn't sex, because sex is about procreation," so what is this? The best physical therapy you've ever had. So once you don't think of it as something other than what the doctor's supposed to do to cure your uncontrollable crying or uncontrollable laughter or whatever, then it's just an awesome muscle spasm. If you don't think women have their own inherent sexuality, then you're not thinking about it like that.

Keep reading for Tanya's thoughts on Fifty Shades and more!

Katherine Heigl Brings Her New Baby Girl Along to Meet Friends

Allie Merriam — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:42:00 PDT

Katherine Heigl smiled big Saturday when she arrived at a friend's house in LA with her husband Josh Kelley. Also along for the outing with Katherine was the couple's newly adopted daughter. Katherine Heigl adopted a second baby with her husband Josh, making their 3-year-old daughter Naleigh Kelly a big sister.

Yesterday marked Katherine's first Mother's Day as a mom of two. Josh was on top of organizing the celebrating. He tweeted in the a.m., "Happy mother's day! What 'cha got planned for today? Hope you dudes out there take care of your ladies. No skimping." Josh cooked Katherine breakfast as well, and shared a picture of his labors on Twitter. After the meal, Josh and Katherine, who wore knee-high boots and a dress, swung by her parents' home for a big family bash.

Tips For Entertaining Your Kids at a Wedding

Kate Stahl — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:34:00 PDT

Kids and weddings don't always make the most natural partners. Brides often dislike pint-size guests' affinity for screaming out at inappropriate times and their tendency to hog the spotlight (don't they know she's the star!?), while kids can find the hours-long events mind-numbingly boring. Finding a way to make everybody happy can be tough, but follow our advice and odds are, the whole family will enjoy your next wedding - and the bride won't regret adding your children to the invite.

Before you go, communicate! Prepare your child for the day's events. Will the reception be short or long, and will they be expected to sit quietly and pay attention? How long do you plan on staying at the reception and is it outdoors or in? Let your kids know in advance what's coming, and they'll be more likely to be on good behavior.
Bring along quiet activities for the reception. Soft books for young children or a noise-free, inconspicuous hand-held video game for older ones can be a lifesaver for ceremonies, especially if they include lengthy religious services.
Think food. Hopefully the couple has thought ahead to order kid-friendly meals, but just in case, pack extra snacks for kids who might not like the steak or chicken options, or prepare for your kids to fill up on wedding cake.

Keep reading for more ways to entertain pint-size wedding guests.

How Glee's Dianna Agron Keeps Healthy and Fit

Michele Foley — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:46:34 PDT

Happy birthday, Dianna Agron! The Glee star turns 26 today, and to celebrate we're taking a look at how the dancing beauty keeps things fit and healthy.

She's a ballet beauty: Like many of her fellow Glee cast members, Dianna has been dancing since an early age - 3 years old, to be exact. Focusing on ballet and jazz, Dianna even taught dance classes as a teen while also appearing in local musical theater productions.

She keeps foods fresh and natural: A vegetarian, Dianna keeps things healthy by cooking most of her own meals. She told Teen Vogue that her healthy diet gives her much-needed stamina to handle the demands of her career. Around town, she's a staple at Whole Foods and her local juice bar - and always with a reusable grocery bag in hand!

She makes fitness part of her everyday routine: With two dogs in her household, you won't find Dianna spending too much time on the couch. Instead, she loves heading outdoors with them for long walks and hikes. She'll also get moving in the name of charity; last year, Dianna participated in a charity race benefiting the Red Cross Japan disaster relief fund.

Photo sources: Vanity Fair, Getty Images, Wenn

Link Time: How to Pack a Brown Bag Lunch

Camilla Salem — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:15:26 PDT

How to pack a brown bag lunch - Big Girls Small Kitchen
Starbucks will no longer use bugs in its drinks - Grub Street Chicago
Watch a man eat the hottest pepper in the world - HuffPost Food
How to brew the perfect pot of tea - Food52
A man eats a burger with 1,050 strips of bacon - The Daily Meal
What are your happy kitchen accidents? - Yahoo! Shine
Don't forget to wash your reusable grocery bags - The FN Dish

Kate Hudson's Fit Philosophy

Leta Shy — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:20:56 PDT

Happy birthday, Kate Hudson! The perennially sunny actress turns 33 today, and to celebrate we're taking a look at how the mother of two stays active and fit.

Her love of Pilates: To keep her figure toned and lean, Kate Hudson turns to celebrity Pilates trainer Nicole Stuart. Want to get Kate's Pilates-perfect body? Get Kate's Pilates workout here, and read these tips from Nicole Stuart on how to stay in shape.

All in the family: Kate's always on the move! She loves to stay active with her whole family and not just fiancé Matt Bellamy and older son Ryder - Kate's family riders also include mom Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Kate also logs time with Matt at the gym (and doubles the calorie burn by following her workout with a bike ride!).

Have fun: Whether she's kayaking on vacation or dancing with celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, Kate knows that staying in shape (even while pregnant) is all about having fun. Check out our video of Tracy Anderson's pregnancy workout for your own fun and effective prenatal workout.

A healthy diet: Kate stays bikini-ready with a healthy diet. Her trainer Ashley Conrad recommends you stay hydrated and detoxed with lots of water with lemon, and frequent meals and healthy snacks. Get Kate Hudson's flat ab diet plan here.

Her healthy living motto: Kate doesn't sweat the small stuff. For her, the secret to happiness is about putting family first, paying attention to the good, and ignoring the bad. "It's important to be conscious of your health and not indulge too much in the things that are bad for you. Do I mind having my appearance constantly scrutinized? I don't have enough time on this planet to worry about things like that. I'm more concerned with if I'm raising my son properly, with what makes my family happy, with what makes me happy," Kate has said.