The Ultimate News Year’s Eve Party Guide

Before the three-day hangovers and resolutions we have no intention of keeping comes the biggest night of the year, New Year’s Eve. Whether you’re a drinker or not, we all tend to have high hopes of what this magical night will bring and we want nothing less than fireworks, life long memories and of course, all our wishes for the new year to come true.

With this in mind, if your place is the lucky pad of choice for this year’s New Year’s bash, you’ve got a lot to live up to. But don’t worry, we’re here to help you get everything under control and make this a night to remember - no matter how many drinks your guests will have.

The first place to start is deciding on a budget and theme since both of these will influence every aspect of the party from food to decorations. Think about how much money you want to spend on the party personally and if you want it to be a classy, dressy affair or a laid back rock out.

Now on to the good stuff…

Food

A definite must have, food can take on a lot of different flavors depending upon the type of party you want. Our advice is to go with light snacks, finger foods, and hors d’oeuvres.

This is a great option for small or large parties and makes preparation quick and easy since most can be simply heated in the oven or bought pre-made.

If you’re aiming for a classier setting, you can opt to have sit down meal to kick off the party but we would only suggest this option if you’re planning on having small gathering.If this is what you’d prefer, consider doing a potluck style where everyone brings his or her own dish.

Hint:

• Chips
• Dips
• Nachos
• Frozen Hors d’oeuvres (your local grocery store should have lots)
• Crackers, cheeses, pepperoni, pickles
• Chicken wings
• Meat, veggie, and fruit trays
• Cheeseballs
• Finger Sandwiches
• Sweets like squares or cookies.

Check out the Food Network, Kraft, Recipezaar or Great Party Recipes for more yummy ideas.

Music

There’s no such thing as a party without music, or at least not a very good one. Since you’re hosting the party, you’re automatically promoted to DJ, so you better get together some tunes for everyone to groove to.

The main thing to consider here is the type of people who will be coming to your party. If you’re having a small gathering of close friends who all have similar musical taste, then go ahead and play Rob Stewart’s Greatest Hits.

But if you’re having a large party, you should try to play music from several genres to keep everybody happy.

Hint:

• Play the radio
• Mixed CDs
• Ask everyone to bring their favorite CD

Check out the Top 40 of 2008, Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time or Billboard for song ideas.

Drinks

Finally, we get to talk about the good stuff. Booze is one area of the party that can become very expensive, very quickly. If you want to be a big shot and your wallet can handle it, stock up on as much liquor as you want. Check out I Drink, Drink Recipes Bar, or Drink of the Week for cocktail and shot ideas to give you an idea of what you should purchase.

A more practical approach is to simply provide the basics to your guests and make the party BYOB. Make sure to get lots of ice, pop and juice for mix, champagne (no New Year’s party is complete without it) and cups and straws. It’s also a good idea to clear an area on your counter or table for drink prep for your guests to help keep the mess from spreading around the house.

Hint:

One thing to remember – fridge space, fridge space, fridge space. Everyone will be looking to keep their brewskies cold, so make sure you have lots of room in your fridge and freezer. If space is tight, use a cooler or bathtub filled with ice.

Activities

You don’t need to go over board and plan out the entire evening with activities, but having a few games on hand will keep your guests entertained, break the ice, and get everyone good and liquored.

Hint:

Since New Year’s is pretty much an excuse to drink, we suggest playing a few drinking games to get the evening going. Webtender and DrinkingGames.com offer a huge selection to choose from, but you can also check out this cute New Year’s resolution game or Party411 for non-alcoholic fun.

Decorations

Decorations are the icing on the cake to any great party and New Year’s is no exception. This is another area where you can choose to go with a theme like a classic white, silver, and black palette or just go crazy with color.Make sure to get balloons, streamers and few party favors of your choice.

Hint:

Confetti is one of the best party favors at a New Years party, but they can be a pain to clean up so be prepared. For a more cleanly way to ring in the New Year, opt to get hats, noisemakers or sparklers instead.

Invitations

We actually suggest sending out invites as far in advanced as possible so your guests don’t make other plans.

The easiest way to invite your guests is to use email or social sites like Facebook. It’s simple to mass email your friends or set a group event so everyone is kept in the loop. If you have some not-so-savvy friends, you can just give them a call but make sure they take down all the important information they’ll need.

If you want to be fancy, you can choose to send out invitations by mail but this will require more effort and preparation, especially since you’ll have to send them out early to arrive on time.

Hint:
Regardless of the method of invite, here are the key points you want to include:

• Date: a no-brainer but it doesn’t hurt to be thorough.
• Time: Let you’re guests know when to show up and more importantly when to leave.
• Sleeping / Driving Arrangements: Is there room for your guests to stay over, or should they make their own plans to get home?
• BYOB: Or not.
• Dress: Let everyone know if this is a casual party or more formal.
• Food: Do guests need to bring any snacks with them?
• Extras: If you’re planning on doing anything special, like maybe having some fireworks in the backyard, you should mention this to your guests beforehand so they can be prepared.

Foolproof

Since New Year’s Eve parties can get pretty wild and crazy, here are some extra tips any host should remember to keep things going smoothly:

• No Drinking or Driving: Enforce the no drinking and driving rule. Collect keys, lock the doors, or let people stay over if they don’t have a ride home.
• Bring Buckets: It’s inevitable that at least one party-goer will drink beyond their limit and need to spend some one on one with the toilet. This is a particular nuisance if you only have one bathroom; so keep the lou running freely by having a couple of buckets around. Another tip is to keep an eye on guests who seem to be drinking too much, too fast and get them to take periodic breaks - if you can.
• Paper, Plastic or Glass?: To help make clean up easier (and help the environment too) hand out paper cups to your guests.
• Corral The Party: If there are rooms you would prefer your guests not stumble into make sure to keep the doors closed.
• Keep Track of Time: After a few drinks, it’s easy to lose track of time and forget about the stroke of midnight. Keep a clock around or have the TV or radio on to alert you before the ball drops.
• Dance Floor: With music comes dancing and it’s in your best interested to clear an area so people can bust their moves. It’s also highly recommended to move any breakable items into rooms that aren’t being used.
• The Clean Up: Place some garbage bags/cans around the main areas of the party to encourage people to throw out their cups, napkins, etc. Try cleaning up some before you go to bed, too. Trust us, it’s a lot harder to clean up the morning after.
• Breakfast: If you’re having some people stay over, think about having something on hand for breakfast, or arrange to go out. There’s no better way to start New Year’s Day than a big, greasy hangover breakfast.

If you follow this guide and give yourself enough time to prepare, you’ll be sure to throw an awesome New Year’s Party. Just remember to be safe, have fun, and don’t pass out before the ball drops. See you in the New Year!

7 Pointless Collections You Should Be Embarrassed to Own

Marbles, snow globes, old baseball cards – we all have a hobby to fill our spare time and 4 out of 5 doctors say having a collection or two is perfectly healthy and normal. So whether your complete Batman comic book collection fondly reminds you of your childhood or you’re hoping to cash it in big on eBay, you shouldn’t feel ashamed for the countless hours you’ve spent cataloging or the thousands of dollars you’ve spent on one-of-a-kind issues.

The following people, however, should hang their heads in shame and never admit to collecting these ridiculous things. We give you the 7 most pointless collections you should be embarrassed to own.

7. Traffic Cones

An arguably deserving recipient of a Guinness World Record and no doubt the most envied member of his family, David Morgan comes in at #7 with his traffic cone collection.

In what we’re sure took many grueling hours filled with tears of joy and pain, David surprised the world when he collected 137 cones from 2/3 of all cone types ever made. Impressive! Although David does not disclose exactly how he collected so many traffic cones, we like to think he drove around stealing them from construction sites and potholes, leaving behind a bloody trail of carnage and twisted metal. At least that would make it slightly cool.

Oh the carnage!

6. Chocolate Bar Wrappers

At first glance we thought the #6 collection on our list was pretty cool. I mean, who wouldn’t want to have a room full of chocolate bars? That is, until we bitterly realized there’s no chocolate, only the wrappers.

From Algeria to Zimbabwe, Martin Mihal has painstakingly collected wrappers from around the globe made from paper, cardboard, cellophane, metalized foil, plastic with inner metalized foil, paper with inner metalized foil, oh the list goes on… and on… and on. He displays all 38,323 of them in their once chocolaty-filled glory on his website along with lots of other tidbits including Choconews!

mmm, wrapper…

But don’t think Martin will collect just any old wrapper. Oh no, his method is much more scientific than that. He specifically defines a wrapper as “[the] covering [of a] chocolate bar, tablet, slab, napolitain, egg or chocolate candy bar (where the chocolate creates [an] important part of the product – at least 30%)”.

Hmm, so would a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup be in or out? We’re sure he has some super high-tech lab in which he can calculate precisely the percentage of chocolate to make this seem less lame.

5. Coins

After some extensive research (aka Wikipedia), we still don’t get the interest in our #5 choice for pointless collection: coin collecting. They’re probably one of the most common items people collect, but much like 80’s fashion trends, just because a lot of people are doing it, doesn’t mean it makes any sense.

Well if he’s doing it…

To be fair, some coin collectors consider purchasing coins as an investment, and although this can be risky, requires a fair amount of research, and can actually incur costs, we understand it’s another way to make a few bucks. It’s the coin hoarders that are shooting a high score on the pointless scale. They don’t really care what kind of coin it is, they just keep collecting them.

One of the most common reasons people have collections is because there is some sort of value associated with the item, usually sentimental. And despite what some Wall Street execs might tell you, money has very little sentimental value and it certainly has no value sitting in a Mason jar on the top shelf of your closet. Go out and buy yourself something nice. You’ll thank us later.

4. Ken Dolls

Ever since her 1959 debut, Barbie has selfishly hogged the limelight from her family and friends including long time beau and supporter, Ken. In a bold attempt to right the wrongs and show the world Ken isn’t just Barbie’s accessory, Jef Beck went on what he calls a ‘crusade’, collecting an entire room full of Ken dolls.

Apparently it all started during the Christmas of 1970 when Jef was 6 years old. ‘New Good Looking Ken’ was his name and although he was a present for his older sister, Jef knew at that moment they were destined to be together forever.

Will you be my friend?

Even after factoring in the sentimental value and his noble fight for Ken doll rights, we still can’t get over the fact that a grown man is collecting dolls. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

3. Bandaids

There are some collections that should be prominently displayed for millions to see like Picasso’s artwork or vintage sports cars, and then there are some collections that should be hidden in a locked box under your bed and never mentioned to anyone. Guess which our #3 collection of band-aids falls under?

After many long minutes researching the history of why humans collect, we can’t for the life of us find any sane reason a person would choose to collect band-aids. Except maybe a person who would wear this:

This actually raises more questions than it answers but we’re just glad they aren’t used bandaids. Moving on.

2. Navel Fluff

It takes a truly special collection to bore you and make you go WTF? at the exact same time and Graham Baker’s navel fluff does just that, which is why he gets our #2 spot. More than 20 years in the making, Graham has collected his navel fluff as part of his morning routine and prides himself on how rare, unique and complete his collection is - none of which we’ll argue.

In his words, “Navel fluff…is that fascinating fluffy substance that forms mysteriously in the belly buttons of special people”, and by ‘mysteriously’ he means scientists know exactly why navel lint forms and by ‘special people’ he means men with a lot of body hair. Graham is also another recipient of a Guinness World Record in 2002 (must have been a slow year) and he considers his collection quite priceless. For some reason, the more we think about this the more our belly buttons feel funny.

One of a kind!

1. Impaled Garden Gnomes

You may be thinking “Sure, a collection of garden gnomes seems pointless but really isn’t that crazy since everyone knows an old lady with 50 in her front yard”, but Mr. Gnomemaker (we assume his birth name) decided regular ol’ garden gnomes weren’t quite special enough.

Instead he makes and collects impaled garden gnomes complete with the blood and gory details like ‘What a Cleaver Boy’ and ‘Get the Point’.

Come on in Kiddies

His site, aptly named Die Screaming With Sharp Things In Your Head, offers fun for the whole family with his blog, shop, and Kids Korner, where kids are sure to have loads of unsupervised fun with sharp objects. If this isn’t the most pointless collection out there, we’re scared to see what is.

Rough and Tumble: A Conversation With A Dryer

Above: A drawing of the alleged interviewee.

The following is my interview with an anonymous dryer. In an effort to preserve its secrecy, I won’t give out its make or model.

Me: I’ll bet you’re eager to dispel this first dryer myth. What do you know about the sock thieves that steal one of a pair from loads of laundry? Is there some kind of sock fairy or urchin or … ?

Dryer X: Well, I’m not presently at liberty to discuss that. I don’t enjoy eating laundry, I’ll tell you that much. Burp.

Me: What are your pet peeves? I wouldn’t want to get on my dryer’s bad side.

Dryer X: Dryer balls. Ever seen those things? Sure, they’re better for the environment… Groan. I mean, it feels like a perpetual, merciless dodge ball beatdown except the bouncy balls have spikes.

Me: Do you ever take revenge out on your owners?

Dryer X: Oh, yeah. We’re a vengeful family, us dryers. One time this kid stuck crayons in his pockets and my insides looked like the crime scene of a rainbow’s violent death. Whenever he’s waiting on his teddy bear or his blankie, it takes hours to dry. Oh, and one time I shrunk an XL sweater small enough to fit a teacup Chihuahua. Muahhaahhhah!

Me: Finish this sentence for me: “I adore…”

Dryer X: “Lint trap brushes.” At first, I was all “Hey, haven’t you ever heard about personal space people?” but fyooh! What a difference. I feel like I can breathe.

Me: Who are your personal heroes?

Dryer X: Dishwashers. A machine that can wash and dry? It’s inspiring to me. It’s so quiet compared to the washer and me. That whoosh purr is after my own heart.

Me: Worst fears?

Dryer X: Spontaneous combustion. What a mess. Oh, and spiders. If I’m starting to shake and make screechy noises, I’m either about to break down or trying to get away from a spider.

Me: What are your aspirations, hopes, or goals?

Dryer X: I’m not out to impress anybody. I just wanna outlive the washer. Talk about a wet blanket. Maybe I’ll get recycled and become a motorcycle. Or a space station.

Me: What would you not want to be recycled into?

Dryer X: I’ll tell you who I don’t envy is the vacuum. What a dirty job. My mother would slap me if my trap were that filthy.

Appliance Myths Busted

Say the word ‘myth’ and most people think of the classics like Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman or UFOs. Surprisingly though, there are many myths circulating about the very appliances in our homes. Although these myths won’t make you scream in horror, knowing which ones are fake could save you time and money. And who doesn’t like that?

1. Appliances Don’t Use Power While In Stand-By Mode

You’re not alone if you assume you’re appliance is off and not using power in ‘stand-by’ mode. As concern grows over wasting power, more and more people are learning that “sleeping” appliances consumer a lot of energy, and that goes for home electronics, too.

In some cases appliances can use as much as 15-30 watts per hour – that adds up week after week, month after month. If you want to lower your energy bill, simply make sure to completely power down your appliance or unplug it. Tip: If you turned it off but still see something glowing or blinking, it’s still using power.

2. Microwaves Emit Radiation That Can Harm You

Hands down, this myth is the most popular among households, particularly moms. I’m sure we can all remember being scolded for standing too close to the microwave for fear radiation would melt us inside out.

Although microwaves do use radiation to cook food, the truth is, it’s only harmful if you actually got inside, shut the door, and nuked yourself. Microwaves are built to contain this sort of radiation and as long as your microwave doesn’t have any leaks, you’re safe and sound.

3. Dishwashers Completely Fill With Water When Operating

This one may sound funny, but you’d be surprised how many homeowners refuse to open their dishwasher during wash cycle for fear gallons of water will pour onto their kitchen floor.

This concept has plausibility, but again, it’s totally false. Dishwashers simply use a pump to push water through jets that spray all around the inside. If you open the dishwasher during a cycle, the jets stop spraying water so there’s no need to worry about flooding your kitchen.

4. Washing Dishes By Hand Uses Less Water Than A Dishwasher

Many debates have been had over whether washing dishes by hand is better for the environment than using your dishwasher. A lot of people assume their helping conserve water and lowering their bill by washing dishes the old fashioned way, but nothing could be further from the truth.

On average, modern dishwashers use about 1-1.5 kilowatt hours of energy and 3.7 gallons of water, which is actually equal to one full kitchen sink. Now think about how many full sinks you use to wash your dishes and the water you use to rinse them after. Don’t forget that in general, a dishwasher runs every 2-3 days, whereas washing by hand is usually a daily chore. It’s pretty clear which one is less water-efficient.

5. Dishes Need To Be “Pre-Rinsed” Before Being Washed In A Dishwasher

The last myth to be debunked today is a classic and although it sounds ridiculous, there are thousands of homeowners who insist on pre-rinsing dishes before they are put in the dishwasher… to be rinsed, again.

News flash, pre-rinsing does not help your dishwasher clean your dishes. In actuality, it can harm your dishes because the alkaline concentration of the dishwasher detergent will be higher than normal. Detergent needs food to clean and without it, the alkaline level goes up increasing the risk of scratched, etched or cloudy dishes.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our pad to yours.

May your day be filled with love, laughter, peace and joy.

From the team at My Bad Pad

Don’t Let DIY Disasters Happen To You

As the popularity of do-it-yourself repair grows among homeowners, so has a disturbing rise in serious DIY injuries. From decorating and renovating to remodels and repairs, homeowners have been taking on the roll of Bob Vila and opting to tackle home projects themselves rather than hiring a professional. While this can save time and money, homeowners don’t realize the real and present dangers of do-it-yourself home repairs.

In the US, home repair injuries are growing at an alarming rate. The most common repair injury is a ladder fall, which has risen 40% in the past decade becoming the leading cause of DIY death.

Power tools are also responsible for a large number of injuries with nail-gun related injuries up 200% since 1991 and angle grinders and power saws both causing between 15-20% of all injuries.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry in the UK, 200,000 people a year are injured in DIY accidents – that works out to almost 4000 per week.

Half of those are injured seriously enough to need hospital treatment and an unlucky 70 are fatally injured. Another 50,000 people managed to treat themselves at home without a visit to the doctor.

Surprisingly, power tools and heavy machinery aren’t the only things to worry about. Turns out even seemingly harmless items can be accidents waiting to happen such as glue and wallpaper, which collectively injured 4500 people.Other injuries include broken or fractured bones, eye damage, loss of fingers, burns, electrocution, sprains, and the list goes on.

If that doesn’t make you think twice, how about the fact that per year, do-it-yourselfers cause millions of dollars in damage to their homes from botched repair jobs. Homeowners can even risk invalidating their home insurance coverage if repairs or remodels aren’t done properly or may not be covered at all for the damage if they don’t add accidental insurance to their plan.

The most surprising part of about the rising number of DIY related injuries is that most are 100% preventable. 55 % of homeowners admitted to starting a DIY project without the proper tools and almost 50% said they started a project without knowing how exactly to do it.

If homeowners wore the right protective gear, made sure their equipment and tools were functioning properly and safely, took the time to educate themselves and were realistic about their own abilities, many of these injuries would never happened.

So, next time you’re weighing the pros and cons of doing a DIY home project, ask yourself a few questions and be honest about the answers. Is this something that is within your ability to do? Do you have the proper tools to perform the project? Do you have all the safety gear required and do you have the time to make sure the project is completed properly? If you have any doubts, ask for help. In the end, consulting a professional could actually save you time, money, and a few limbs.

40 Simple Ideas To Make Your Christmas Green

Brightly wrapped presents, colorful lights and a sweet-smelling turkey dinner fill everyone’s thoughts and dreams as Christmas quickly approaches. However, no one considers the aftermath until all the festivities are over.

The fact is that every Christmas we generate thousands of tons of waste and use more energy then at any other time of year. Christmas lights increase our energy bills, wrapping paper is discarded by the roll and unwanted presents sit on shelves until eventually they are thrown away.

Small changes can make big differences and do a lot to help our environment. A “Green” Christmas doesn’t mean we all have to turn into the Grinch, it just means thinking outside of the box and doing things a little differently then we have in the past. Below are 40 simple ideas that you can do to give a gift to Mother Earth this year.

Decorate:

1. Use LED lights to decorate your home and tree. They use 75% – 90% less energy than traditional Christmas lights and they last up to 10 times longer.



2. Use solar Christmas lights to decorate the outside of your home. They cost a little more but there is no electricity bill at the end of the holidays.




3. Decorate with pinecones and evergreen boughs instead of store bought décor. They are completely biodegradable and give off a wonderful, natural scent.



4. Turn your Christmas lights off when you go to bed. You can’t enjoy their festive glow while you’re sleeping anyway.




5. Organize a carpool for your Christmas party. People will not have to worry about drinking and driving plus you are keeping a few extra cars off of the road.




6. Turn off the TV. Christmas is a time to socialize with your family and friends. Commercial breaks just aren’t long enough for that.



The tree:

7. Go treeless. Maybe you have a large indoor plant that would look beautiful all lit up.




8. Get a potted Christmas tree and replant it after Christmas is over or decorate one of the trees in your yard (and you don’t have to worry about the replanting).



9. Buy a live tree. Artificial trees last much longer but are not biodegradable. Live trees can be recycled and turned into mulch.



Cards:

10. Sending Christmas cards is a long-time tradition but all of those cards just end up in the trash. Start a new tradition and send out e-cards to all of your online friends and family.




11. If you must send out actual cards, make sure to buy ones made out of recycled card stock or natural fibers.




12. Re-use old Christmas cards to make ornaments, gift tags or new Christmas cards. These family craft projects can be the start of new Christmas traditions in your home.



Dinner:

13. Get romantic and serve Christmas dinner by candlelight. The soft glow of the candles will contribute to the dreamy mood and turning off the lights will lower your electric bill.




14. Use real dishes and napkins for Christmas dinner. Disposable plates and napkins may make clean up a little quicker but throwaway dishes are bad for the environment.



15. Serve local turkey and vegetables. Homegrown produce and poultry will be fresher as it didn’t travel long distances to get to your dinner plate.




16. Take the time to package up your leftovers properly. Put some in the fridge and freeze the rest. This will result in less cooking for you later on and less food being thrown in the garbage.



Wrapping:

17. Use cloth gift bags or even cloth shopping bags instead of wrapping paper. You’ll be able to re-use these again and again instead of throwing the paper out after one use.




18. Wrap your present in a scarf, towel, pillowcase or other type of usable item and it can be part of your Christmas present.



19. Wrap presents in old newspapers or magazines. Or if you have a budding artist in your household use some of their artistic masterpieces as wrapping paper.




20. If you must use Christmas wrapping paper, save what you can and re-use it on other gifts.




21. Save ribbons and bows. Most of these look just as good as new even after the gifts are unwrapped. Ribbons and bows can be reused for other gifts throughout the year or for next Christmas.



22. Shred your old junk mail to cushion any breakable gifts instead of using bubble wrap or foam peanuts.



Gifts:

23. Don’t exchange gifts. Christmas is about spending time with family and friends so organize a gathering and forgo the gifts.




24. Plan your shopping trip. Try to run several errands all at once. One stop shopping or visiting several shops in the same outing will result in a better use of your time and consume less gas.




25. Buy fewer gifts. Instead of buying for every extended family member, gather folks together and draw names. This way you can give a meaningful gift to one person instead of breaking the bank and buying frivolous, last minute gifts for many.




26. Make a wish list and give it to your significant other. They will most likely be purchasing something for you anyway and this will cut down on their stress, their need to drive from store to store and the need for you to return unwanted items. Plus as an added bonus, you will get things that you like and want for Christmas.



27. Take re-usable shopping bags with you when you do your Christmas shopping.




28. Buy gifts that are not over-packaged. Many kid’s toys are bolted in by plastic, ties and wrap that has to be thrown away once the toy has finally been released from its captivity.




29. Buy local gifts. It keeps the money you spend in your community and you’ll feel good knowing that your gift did not need to be transported thousands of miles.




30. Buy gifts made out of recycled or re-used materials or make your own.




31. Re-gift last years Christmas presents that you didn’t use. And if you don’t feel comfortable re-gifting, then donate them to a local charity.




32. Hold a toy swap with your friends and neighbors. This keeps the old toys out of the landfill and the toys are still “new” to the latest receiver.




33. Everything old is new again. Find something at the local thrift store or antique shop that still has lots of use left in it. Those vintage earrings may be the perfect addition to your daughter’s retro wardrobe.




34. Shop online and have things shipped through the postal service. You will save on your own transportation cost and the mailman passes your house everyday anyway.



35. Buy toys that do not use batteries.




36. Buy rechargeable batteries for all the electronic gadgets being purchased this year. Rechargeable batteries will keep regular batteries out of the landfill.



37. Buy gift certificates or tickets as gifts this Christmas. Who wouldn’t love a day at the spa or tickets to the hockey game?




38. Homemade gifts show the receiver that your gift really comes from the heart. And nothing says “I love you” more than homemade cookies or pie.



39. For the person who has everything, donate money to a local charity in their name. If you prefer larger charities you can buy a goat for a family, help save some animals from extinction or anything else that helps the planet.




40. Give gifts of your time and experience. Help your sibling organize their kitchen, run errands for your elderly neighbor, teach your niece how to knit, offer to babysit for your busy co-worker, you get the idea.

5 Of My Favorite Websites

I have a couple of websites that I like to check out on a regular basis. I don’t get to read them everyday, I mean, I have a full-time job, kids and a Social Media/ Networking addiction, so my “free time” is limited. But often the content of these sites helps me out with all of the above so it is a good excuse for me to check them out every once in awhile.

http://www.divinecaroline.com/

Divine Caroline is a site about women and since I’m a woman I can relate. The stories cover a wide range of topics from home & food to relationships to the world around us. Much of the content comes from the users themselves so if you’ve got something to say and no blog of your own, you should check out DivineCaroline.com. Not only do they have something for every woman, you may also be able to release your inner author.

http://theinspiredroom.net/

Melissa does things a little differently than many interior design consultants. She believes in the philosophy that you should design your life first and then your rooms should reflect who you are. A beautiful home should be an expression of things that bring you joy and enable you to live your best life. Since my kids bring me joy, I try to design my rooms with them in mind (not that many people would call it design) and Melissa helps me out with that.

http://micasastyle.com/

MicasaStyle is a great community of interior design lovers who share pictures of their rooms and get inspiration from other designers. Plus, this community loves to give out helpful hints and advice. The site has a unique labeling feature that lets people tag items in their photos. I love seeing a room with 10 or more items tagged because it usually answers my burning question, “Where did you get that?”

Tara Frey – Typing Out Loud
http://www.bellapink.typepad.com/

Tara’s blog is a crazy combination of family, friends, shopping, shoes, photography, decorating, creating and collecting all mixed together with a quirky and fun style of writing that will keep you coming back for more.

http://www.designspongeonline.com

Design*Sponge forecasts new trends, offers lots of great store and product reviews and profiles of up-and-coming designers, plus so much more. It’s a great way to keep on top of what is coming up next in the world of home décor. the lack of capital letters on the site takes a bit of getting used to, but you won’t mind once you start experiencing the wealth of information that comes pouring out every day.

‘Tis The Season For Turkey!

There is nothing quite like putting on your pants with the elastic waist and sitting down on Christmas Day to a home cooked turkey dinner complete with all the gravy, cranberries and apple pie that you can eat.

I can almost taste it now.

As amazing as this experience is, there is one small downside to this yummy tradition, someone has to cook it. For years, your mom slaved for hours cooking a meal fit for kings… and now she’s passed the tradition on to you.

Now that you’re all grown up, it’s time to take the reigns and give back by cooking this full course meal yourself. Christmas is the time of giving, after all.

But don’t panic just yet. I’m here to save you from making a fool of yourself and ruining the most sacred meal of the year. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to impress everyone at the dinner table.

One Week Prior

1. Prepare a list of everything you’ll need. And yes, you are responsible for providing cutlery, plates and napkins.
2. Clean your fridge and oven. No one wants a burnt chunk of pizza in their yams.
3. Make room in the fridge for the turkey and all the other dishes you’ll need to store in there. Don’t forget the    liquor, it’s going to be a long week.

Three To Four Days Prior

1. Purchase your turkey. The rule is ½ lb per person; add more if you want to have leftover turkey sandwiches.
2. If the turkey is frozen, get it in the fridge now so it defrosts or you’ll be sorry later.
3. Start purchasing the items on your list that you made a few days ago… remember?
4. Make sure you have all the cooking utensils you’ll need (like a roaster). Call mom if you need some help on this one.

The Day Before The Dinner

1. You can start preparing dishes such as cranberries and pickles and set them in the fridge so they’re ready to go.
2. Chop and peel any vegetables you’ll be cooking. This is a huge time saver.
3. Bake your desserts (or just go out a buy them, I won’t tell).
4. Take out and thaw anything that’s frozen.

The Morning Of The Big Day

1. Get that bird in the oven! Cook it on 350, allowing 20 minutes per pound.
2. Get your side dishes ready to be cooked when the time is ready.
3. Set the table. Hint: knife on the right, fork on the left.
4. Pour yourself a tall drink, sit back and relax. All that’s left is to throw the veggies on the stove when the turkey is almost done. Viola!

It’s surprising that a turkey dinner takes almost a week’s worth of preparation when you can eat it all in about 7 minutes flat. But the truth is, it’s a lot of work and if you’ve been elected Christmas chef, you better make sure you plan it out and do it right.

If you try to wing it, well, let’s just say it’s not a pretty site when angry family members with empty stomachs get a hold of your presents.

Dumpster Diving Freegan-Style

Freegans are a close relative to the vegan movement and form their name from two words, “free” and “vegan”. Like their vegan cousins, Freegans avoid buying anything that may have contributed or promoted to the mistreatment of humans, land, and animals. However, they take the vegan concept one-step farther by avoiding consumerism, which they believe is the reason for most, if not all, of the mistreatment that has become synonymous with modern lifestyle.

In order to acquire food, Freegans generally participate in what’s called ‘dumpster diving’. They begin by studying the garbage removal habits of local restaurants and grocery stores to figure out the best times to forage for unwanted food and products deemed not fit by retailers. Then, at peak times, they will rummage through the dumpsters; taking with them food they consider still good to eat.

In larger cities, Freegans need not worry about storing the food they collect since there is an abundance of freshly disposed food ripe for dining several times a day. Some Freegans even have unofficial agreements with employees who leave food beside the dumpster rather than inside.

As admiral as these waste-not-want-not dining habits are, Freegans are not generally viewed in a positive light, particularly by businesses who claim that the food and products in their dumpsters are not fit for human consumption. Anything that is, has already been donated to local charities but Freegans argue the validity of ‘best before dates’ and stand by their beliefs.

However, Freegans do have standards in what they will consume and do not take opened packages or perishables such as fruits and vegetables that are clearly rotten.

Freeganism is not for the faint at heart, or stomach. They take their lifestyle very seriously and if they must purchase a good, they will attempt to buy it second or third hand, rather than new. They will also trade their own possessions or offer a service instead of money to obtain any items they may need.

They believe their dumpster diving is an opportunity to make a moral and political statement about the wastefulness of today’s society.

Tell a Freegan that they’re freeloading and they’re likely to agree but will quickly add that their lifestyle is the only thing that makes waste worthwhile.

Worried that you are being consumed by your consumerism? Maybe Freeganism is for you.

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