TresSugar

Announcing the Winner of Our Holiday Giveaway!

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:22:24 PST

Congratulations to Margaret from Illinois for winning our holiday giveaway! She won a $1,000 gift card to Williams-Sonoma, one of our very favorite stores. Thanks for playing, everyone!

Announcing the Winner of Our Thanksgiving Giveaway!

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:06:05 PST

Congratulations to Nanette from Utah for winning our Thanksgiving giveaway! She voted for her favorite Thanksgiving dishes and wound up winning a $1,000 gift card to Whole Foods. Thanks for playing, everyone!

Take The CasaSugar Reader Survey!

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:30:11 PST

Need a little something to help you through your long holiday weekend? It might not be as exciting as winning one of my contests, but it is important to me! This is your chance to tell me what you like and don't like about CasaSugar, and what you want to see here. Your opinions, comments, and input are what CasaSugar is all about. It'll only take a few minutes of your time, and it would mean the world to me! Take the survey now!

4 Savvy Things to Do This Weekend

Emily Co — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We usually come up with plenty of fun, social activities for you to do over the weekend, but let's get savvy and down to business this weekend. It may feel like a chore to complete these tasks, but you'll feel so much better after you're done with them!

Do Your Taxes: Crank that music up and get to it! If you've been procrastinating on filing your tax returns, pull up your sleeves and tackle them this weekend. It's better to do them on the weekends when you're relaxed rather than a workday when you're all weary from working the 9 to 5. Set aside Sunday night to do them, and you'll thank me for it!.
Organize Your Receipts: Dump all the receipts out from your bag, wallet, and pocket, and put them in a designated box or folder. You can also test out Shoeboxed, which is a free online service that can automatically track and organize your online and offline purchases. All you need to do is snap pictures of receipts on your cell and email them to Shoebox or mail in paper receipts to the company, and they will organize the information for you.
Plan Your Work Lunches: If you're resolving to bring your lunch to work every day, you need to craft your meal plan on the weekend so you won't be rummaging around your fridge for scraps during the early mornings.
De-clutter Your Home: Spend the weekend de-cluttering your home and getting rid of the excess things that you don't need. First figure out what areas you need to tackle and take a look at a list of my suggestions.

Snacking Good: Natchitoches Meat Pies

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:07:39 PST

We've always wanted to take a stab at rolling out a few Natchitoches meat pies. Thanks to an easy recipe from Food Orleans, this might be a dream realized sooner rather than later.

[Baked or fried? You decide.]

Natchitoches meat pies are one of those special little treats with a name as fun to say as they are to scarf down. Nackadish - that's how you say it - is a small town we drive through on our way north to visit Alexandria or Oklahoma, and it's where Steel Magnolias was filmed, and it's famous for these little pies. It's a beautiful little place, with a picturesque riverfront lined with shops and restaurants that have their own sort of French Quarter-ish wrought iron balconies (remember the Easter scene where Jackson slapped Ouiser? That's the riverfront!). But you don't have to go into the actual town to get yourself some meat pies; just stop at any gas station right off I-10. They all fry them up and they're all pretty wonderful.

For her recipe, continue reading.

A Lovely Little Vignette From Frankie Hearts Fashion

Angela Swinderman Elias — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:01:52 PST

Our design-savvy readers are always inspiring us with shots of stylish scenes from their homes in our Lovely Little Vignettes group. In honor of Fashion Week, we decided to tap the shoulder of one of our favorite personal style bloggers, Nicole from Frankie Hearts Fashion, to take on our Lovely Little Vignettes fashion challenge! And, just as we expected, she absolutely killed it.

Nicole mixes bold, neon citrus with classic black-and-white graphics, and a touch of fire-engine red, for a combination that works equally well in an outfit and a room. Aside from crafting a mesmerizing color palette, she also experiments with mixing bohemian and more refined style influences in both shots. Her flowing halter dress and sunflower bouquet reveal her inner flower child while her Louboutin heels and crisp white sofa showcase a more polished side.

Check out Nicole's blog to see additional photos of her chic ensemble, plus details on how she got the look. If you have a stylish nook in your home, show us! You might just be our next featured blogger.

3 Ways Snacks Can Help You Lose Weight

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:09:19 PST

You might think snack time is just for preschoolers, but everyone can benefit from eating a few bites between meals. Aside from filling nutritional holes in your diet, snacking can also help you on your road to weight loss. If the numbers on the scale are on your mind, here are three ways snacking can help you lose weight.

Snacks Keep Blood Sugar Levels Steady
If you've ever gone too long between meals and have gotten a headache, the shakes, and a loss of concentration, then you've felt firsthand what it's like to have low blood sugar. Snacking between meals keeps blood sugar levels steady, which can help prevent you from grabbing the first (unhealthy) thing you can get your hands on and overindulging.

Fiber Fills You Up
Choosing snacks that are full of water and belly-filling fiber will help keep you full longer, so you actually eat less in the long run. Fruits, veggies, and whole-grain breads are great options, and if you need more ideas, here are 10 high-fiber snacks under 150 calories.

No More Overeating
You eat lunch around noon and dinner isn't until 6 p.m. or later. No wonder you hit the dinner table feeling so ravenous that you stuff yourself silly. Now if you enjoyed a pear with some almonds around 3 p.m., you'd avoid that famished feeling and have the patience to prepare a healthy, sensibly sized meal. It works the other way, too. If you're eating a meal and you know you'll be enjoying a snack in two hours or so, you won't feel the need to overeat at mealtime.

Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Morning Workout

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:50:47 PST

If you work or go to school full time, getting your sweat on in the wee hours of the morn is probably the only time you can fit it in. Kudos to you for resisting the urge to hit the snooze button and skip out. Make setting your alarm and pulling yourself out of bed worth all the effort and avoid these morning exercise mistakes.

Not eating: It's super early, but you need to eat in order to fuel your workout. Munch on something small while you're getting ready, like half a banana or half a piece of toast with a little peanut butter. You'll not only avoid the gnawing hunger pangs, but you'll also have an extra pep in your step to exercise harder or longer than you would on an empty stomach. When you get home, you can enjoy your usual breakfast, which is always something to look forward to.
Loading up on fiber: While it's important to eat a little something, you don't want to load up on bulky fiber that can make you feel too full or upset your stomach.
Not hydrating: Aside from food, you also need water. Definitely don't down half a gallon before you hit the gym because too much water can cause cramping, but make sure you sip a short glass of H2O while enjoying your small snack.
Not laying your outfit out the night before: You don't have oodles of time in the morning, so don't take away from your exercise time by scrambling to find your missing sock. Plan your outfit before you go to bed so you can just slip it on and go.

Keep reading for more morning exercise mistakes to avoid.

Anthropologie Rings In Spring With Abstract Color

Angela Swinderman Elias — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:41:11 PST

Anthropologie's Spring window displays are popping up everywhere. An ode to abstract impressionism, the installations are drenched in colorful paint. Aside from showcasing painted pieces on every surface available, the brand cleverly incorporates everyday painting tools. Keep reading to check out a gallery of dazzling window displays plus the creative techniques used to achieve the looks!

Source

Two Is Better Than One (Just Ask Romeo and Juliet)

Sponsor — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:00:00 PST

What happens when premium espresso meets rich, creamy cocoa? Aside from your coffee dreams coming true, the answer is simple and decidedly delicious - Starbucks® Caffé Mocha. Like the yin and yang, a blogger with their laptop, peanut butter and jelly, or Angelina and Brad, espresso and cocoa are better together. The icing on the cake? Every Starbucks® Caffé Mocha is handcrafted from the world's finest beans, wholesome freshly steamed milk, and premium chocolaty mocha. Rich and delicious (another winning combo) and perfectly balanced, being together has never tasted so sweet. The new Starbucks® Caffé Mocha (much like cookie dough and ice cream) is the perfect balance of fabulous flavors. So, @Starbucks wants to know, who would you share a Caffé Mocha with? #bettertogether.