Gizmos and Gadgets Galore - Lupa Swivel Phone

With so many wacky new tech toys hitting the market everyday, it takes something pretty cool to catch our eye and the Lupa Swivel Phone from designer Mac Funamizu has our full attention.

The incredibly unique concept is no less than amazing with two parts comprising the design: the bottom touchscreen, which houses the function keys and the top transparent screen that swivels to open. Anyone looking to have a cool, cutting-edge phone should definitely check this one out. Be sure to admire more of Mac’s work.

New Year’s Resolutions For The Home

Now that the partying is over and business is as usual, it’s time to start working on those New Year’s resolutions. Yes, I know. Every New Year’s eve you make one and every January 1st  you promptly forget it.

But this year is going to be different. Yes, this year you’re going to get things done because this year you’re not going to vow to lose ten pounds or quit smoking. No, this year you’re going decide to work on your home instead.

It’s been proven time and time again that a person’s surroundings can positively, or negatively affect them. So this year, I challenge you to forget about what you want to change about yourself and instead make a few changes around your home.

Let’s start with clutter, which is not only ugly and unorganized but can also stress you out. An untidy home is nearly impossible to relax in.

After you’ve spent all day stressed from work, the kids and your finances,  who wants to come home to a messy house that slowly sucks your energy? An orderly home creates a tranquil space with a soothing effect.

Taking simple steps to clear the clutter and organize the items in your home makes a huge difference and is also one of the principle elements to Feng Shui, (the Chinese system that improves life by receiving positive Qi, or energy).

Function also affects how you feel in the home, too. If furniture always feels like its in the way or the seating in your family room is awkwardly placed, it can interrupt the flow of your home and keep you from relaxing without even knowing it.

Enlist the help of everyone in your home to keep the place tidy and when you come home from a long day, you’ll feel a lot better being able to relax.

Once your home is in a state of clean peace, then start to consider how your home is decorated.

The color of a room and how it’s decorated can dramatically change the atmosphere and feel of your home. Reds and yellows create energetic feelings like happiness but also hunger (a good one to avoid if you would like to lose those ten pounds this year). Greens and blues are calming and relaxing, while purple and blacks can be powerful and elegant. Dark wood furniture elicits warm feelings, while stainless steel and metals can feel cool. Consider these things as you look around and figure out what kind of vibe your home is sending out.

Colors can also trigger memories so try picking colors that make you feel the most comfortable and happy. If a whole redecoration of your home is out of the question, then focus on accessories to brighten things up and create the feeling you want.

It can be as simple as new bedding for your bedroom or some accent pillows and colorful frames for the living room.

Taking a few steps to make your home feel better can have a dramatic effect on you and your family. With a little reorganizing and redecorating, you will create a space that’s calming and uplifting, which will have a ripple effect on you.

When you’re happy with your surroundings, you’re happy with yourself and that’s a great way to get yourself finally committed to those other long, procrastinated New Year’s Resolutions.

Here’s a few other quick tips to making your home, and yourself feel a whole lot better:

• Let there be light. It’s a scientific fact that humans need sunlight and not just for the vitamins it gives our bodies but because it actually makes us happier. Make sure to always have lots of natural sunlight in the most used rooms of your home to brighten your day, literally.
• Be Environmentally Friendly. It may sound cliché but it’s true that helping others makes you feel better about yourself and doing your part to protect the environment can have the same effect. So turn your home into a recycling, reusing and reducing machine!
• Donate Old Items & Clothes. Let go of any old furniture or clothes clogging up your home and donate them to those in need. Not only will it make you feel good, but it also will rejuvenate your home by getting rid of excess junk.
• Start A Home Project. Fix up that old chest in the basement or spruce up your bedroom with a wall mural. Doing something that’s fun and interesting rather than a household chore that you HAVE to do is an awesome way to inspire yourself. And once you’ve had a taste of success, it may motivate you to tackle something a little harder, like joining the gym (and actually going).

Happy New Years!

May this new year bring many opportunities your way

and be filled with happiness and love.  Happy New

Years!

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!