Looking for more information about something Dave & Shari are talking about? This is where you'll find it!
THIS YEAR'S TOP HOLIDAY TOYS
The holidays are just around the corner. And, if you're anything like us, you have no idea what to get the kids. Fortunately, AOL tracked down the ten top holiday toys this year, which we've listed here. Check it out:
Magnext Turbo Tops: The object of this game is to keep your top spinning for as long as possible by using a magnet to control it. ($29.99)
Scene It?" "Twilight" edition: "Scene It?" is a board game where players have to identify movie scenes in order to advance their game piece. ($29.99)
Elmo Tickle Hands: These are furry gloves your kid can wear that look just like Elmo's hands on "Sesame Street". ($29.99)
Marshmallow Shooters: This is literally a gun that shoots marshmallows. (???) (starting at $13.99)
Night Vision Goggles: Awesome. Need I say more? ($49.99)
Mini Projector: As in "movie projector." It's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and can project an image as large as five feet onto a screen. ($79.99)
"Star Wars" Force Trainer: This toy includes a wireless headset that reads and interprets your brainwaves in order to move an object inside a control chamber. ($89.99)
Jammin' Band Mic: This is a musical activity center for little kids. ($48.99)
Cake Bakery: This is the latest version of the classic bake set. ($29.99)
"Pop the Pig" board game: The object of the game is to stuff hamburgers into the mouth of a pig until his belly explodes. (???) ($19.99)
Ladies, when you're doing your holiday shopping this year, you're going to have a lot of options. But THESE are gifts your man won't love. Trust us.
#1.) Physique-enhancing shirts: In general, guys hate getting clothes as a gift. And the only thing worse is getting a shirt that's been designed to make him look like he's got six-pack abs. He'll never wear it. He's going to resent you. It'll be a total disaster.
#2.) One of the "fun" gifts available this year is... um... enhancing underwear. It's kind of like a wonderbra for men. Kind of. You may as well just come out and tell the poor guy he needs enhancing.
#3.) Self-help books: Are you trying to start an argument? Because if you get your man a self-help book, that's what you're going to end up with.
#4.) A sports-themed chip-and-dip bowl: A bowl that's shaped like a baseball mitt is a nice thing to have for when your guy invites his buddies over, right? Wrong. Understand that if your guy uses this ridiculous thing in front of his friends, they'll never let him live it down.
#5.) Jewelry: The reason most guys don't wear jewelry is because they don't want to. But if you buy him something, he'll feel obligated to wear it. And so, I repeat: He doesn't want to wear jewelry. (Holidash)
Okay... we know what you're thinking. "If all those amazing gifts are off the table, what's left?" Well, ladies, here are a few suggestions...
Guys love tickets to sporting events. Seahawks, Sounders, whatever, it's all good.
Anything that includes beer and red meat is good for most men. A barbecue for the deck... a mini-fridge for his man-cave... again, all good.
Lastly . . . gadgets and technology. Even a gift certificate for an electronics store is a sure hit.
Good luck!
WEIRD THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR CREMATED REMAINS
You Can Be Shot Into Space
Celestis made headlines in 1997 when they launched the cremated remains of '60s icon Timothy Leary and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry into space. For a fairly reasonable fee (starting at $695), you can send a "symbolic portion" of yourself on the next available mission, riding alongside a commercial or scientific satellite.
You Can Be Exploded With Fireworks
Companies like Heaven’s Above Fireworks can pack a small portion of your ashes into professional-grade fireworks and stage a memorial display for your survivors. You can choose a big, noisy, colorful display or a quieter, more understated event. For a smaller fee, you can have your ashes stuffed into small, self-fired rockets, so your family can have their own private fireworks ceremony at home.
You Can Be Mixed Into a Coral Reef
Starting around $4,000, Eternal Reefs will mix your cremated remains into concrete, shape the artificial reef and place the reef out on the sea floor.
You Can Be Crushed Into a Diamond With companies like LifeGem, your carbon remains (or a lock of your hair) can be crushed into a gemstone that is identical to a natural diamond on a molecular level. Using modern technology, this process only takes a few months instead of millions of years.
You Can Be Fired In Hand-Blown Glass
Starting around $150, the artists at Memory Glass take a small portion of cremated remains and infuse them into hand-blown glass keepsakes and jewelry. Each member of your family can get their own colorful glass pendant to wear on a chain or leather cord.
You Can Be Painted Into a Work of Art
The professional artist at Ashes to Portraits creates oil paintings of the deceased with traces of cremated ashes mixed in.
You Can Be Launched in a Helium Balloon
The Eternal Ascent Society makes aerial ash scattering more accessible and affordable by placing the ashes inside a large helium balloon and launching it into the clouds. The balloon itself is 5 feet wide. About 6 miles up into the sky, the atmosphere gets so cold that the balloon will freeze and shatter, and your ashes will disperse into the clouds.
You Can Be Stuffed Into a Teddy Bear
Huggable Urns are stuffed animals with a lined velvet compartment inside to hold a person’s cremated remains. You can choose from a number of teddy bears, plush dogs and cats or just a simple, soft pillow.
You Can Be Mounted to a Vehicle
A Mobile Cremation Urn can be mounted on a motorcycle, motor home, car, truck, police cruiser, cruise ship or pretty much anything else that moves.
You Can Be the Sand in an Hourglass
An interesting twist on the typical urn is the Hourglass Keepsake Urn. This hourglass is filled with cremated ashes instead of sand, creating a lovely symbol of the passage of time in every person’s life.
FIVE WEIRD WAYS TO BEAT A COLD
Everyone knows that if you're starting to feel sick, you should drink lots of liquids, overdose on vitamin C, and get plenty of rest. But there are also some WEIRDER ways to beat a cold. Here are five of them . . .
#1.) WALK FAST. New research shows that a brisk walk can help you beat a cold by boosting your immunity. But don't run. You'll get sick if you overexert yourself. And if you have anything more than a runny nose, it's best to just stay in bed.
#2.) BLOW YOUR NOSE THE RIGHT WAY. When you're stuffed up, blowing both nostrils at the same time can fill your sinuses with mucus and give you a sinus infection. So take a decongestant and only blow one nostril at a time. It'll keep your cold from getting worse.
#3.) USE A SAUNA. According to an Australian study, warm, moist air gives your body the same detoxifying benefits that drinking lots of liquids does. Researchers had one group of volunteers use saunas regularly for six months, while another group didn't use them at all. And the people who DID use saunas got half as many colds as the people who didn't.
#4.) HAVE A HOT FRUIT DRINK. It might sound old-fashioned, but according to a 2008 study by a university in Britain, drinking a cup of hot apple cider or black currant juice can relieve a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fatigue. They're not sure yet if ANY hot drink works, but hot FRUITY drinks definitely do.
#5.) EAT PEPPERS. It's basically been proven that vitamin C reduces the length and severity of cold and flu symptoms. And pound for pound, red bell peppers have more vitamin C than most fruits and vegetables . . . including oranges.
According to a recent survey on Brides.com, 45% of women say they would want their fiancé to wear an engagement ring too. Or, rather, a "man-gagement" ring.
If you're wondering, etiquette dictates that the man wear his "man-gagement" ring on his left hand until the wedding day, at which point he switches it to his right hand. In other words, once you're married, you'll be wearing TWO rings instead of one.
This Year's Hot Toy?
What do Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle-Me Elmo and the Furby all have in common? At one point or another, they were all must-have holiday gifts. And it was almost impossible to get your hands on them.
Well, this year's must-have holiday toy seems to be something called Zhu Zhu Pets. Basically, they're little, motorized hamsters that zoom around a hamster "funhouse," complete with slides, ramps and tunnels.
Zhu Zhu Pets were first released last month and they've been flying off the shelves. It's gotten to the point that the Zhu Zhu Pets, which sell for $8 at Wal-Mart, are fetching as much as $30 when resold on Amazon.com.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced they're recalling more than ONE MILLION baby strollers sold since 1999 by a company called Maclaren USA.
Apparently, the Maclaren strollers have a hinge defect that's injured 15 kids, and 12 of them had to have their fingertips amputated.
The stroller models that have been recalled are the:
Volo
Triumph
Quest Sport
Quest Mod
Techno XT
Techno XLR
Twin Triumph
Twin Techno
Easy Traveler
If you own one of the models that's been recalled, you can order a free repair kit with specially-designed hinge covers by calling 877-688-2326. Or go online, here:
What does it take to be truly happy and have feelings of joy permeate your everyday life? Six British experts have found what they say are 10 simple steps we can all take to make our lives happy, reports the BBC News. The team determined that the "seeds of happiness" are in this 10-point plan:
Plant something and nurture it.
Count your blessings -- at least five -- at the end of each day.
Take time to talk. Have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.
Phone a friend with whom you have not spoken for a while and arrange to meet up.
Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.
Have a good laugh at least once a day.
Get physical. Exercise for half an hour three times a week.
Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day.
Cut your TV viewing by half.
Spread kindness. Do a good turn for someone every day.
A study from the Mayo Clinic found optimists reported having better physical and emotional health. Doctor Toshihiko Maruta says the research is a follow-up to a study they did a couple years ago. He says the optimist also tends to live longer and better lives.
WOMAN CALLS 911 TO REPORT SHE'S DRIVING DRUNK
Meet 49-year-old Mary Strey of Granton, Wisconsin.
On Saturday night, Mary was driving home after a night of Halloween bar-hopping, when she called 911 to report a drunk driver on the road. But when the dispatcher asked Mary if she was following the drunk driver, she answered, quote, "No, I am them." That's right . . . Mary called 911 to report HERSELF for drunk driving. (!!!)
The dispatcher asked Mary to pull over, and she did. A few minutes later, a cop showed up and gave Mary a sobriety test, which she failed miserably. She was arrested and charged with drunk driving.
You can listen to the 911 call here:
CHANGES IN YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE COULD DRAMATICALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE
According to several new studies, timing is crucial when it comes to your day-to-day routine. In other words, WHEN you do things can be just as important as HOW you do them. Here are four schedule changes that could have a big impact on your life . . .
GO TO THE GYM BEFORE WORK. It's easier to hit the snooze button than it is to hit the gym. But new research shows that people who put off their workout until AFTER work are much less likely to exercise consistently. Plus, when you go to the gym in the MORNING, it wakes up your brain and helps you focus.
DON'T DRINK AFTER 7:00 P.M. Drinking right before bed can leave you with more than a hangover. It can seriously screw up the quality of your sleep. In one recent study where researchers gave alcohol to hamsters, it gave them poor sleep patterns, and made them sluggish for 24 hours after their last drink.
EAT DINNER BEFORE 8:00 P.M. A study by Northwestern University showed that late dinners can make you gain up to twice as much weight as normal. And just like with drinking, if you eat late at night, your body has to work overtime to process it, which affects your sleep.
BRAINSTORM AT 10:00 P.M. According to a survey of 1,500 people, 10 p.m. is when the average person feels the most creative. On the flip side, the WORST time to be creative is 4:30 p.m., when you're exhausted from work, and your blood sugar is low.
THE MEDALS AT THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS WILL BE MADE FROM RECYCLED COMPUTERS
A Canadian metal company called Teck has already started producing the medals by melting down circuit board components and combining the byproducts with metals from other sources.
In other words, if you're in Canada and you recently threw out an old desktop, there's a chance an Olympic winner will be wearing part of your computer around their neck at next year's Games.
Suggestions for Avoiding Swine Flu
( These tips were passed on to us by KAFE management so we thought we'd share them with you. There was no source cited but a Google search attributes this to a Dr. Vinay Goyal. )
Preventing the H1N1 Virus:
The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
FIVE SURPRISING WAYS TO GET MORE ENERGY
If you're low on energy but tired of chugging coffee or energy drinks, here are five strange but real ways to rev yourself up without all that caffeine . . .
#1.) CHANGE YOUR SOCKS. It sounds weird, but try it. Bring an extra pair of socks to work with you. Then when you start feeling drained around three o'clock, change them. You'll be amazed how refreshing it is.
#2.) WORK OUT EARLIER. If you work out at night, it might prevent you from getting enough sleep. Scientists think it floods your brain with stress hormones that make falling asleep harder. And if your workout leaves you sluggish and exhausted the next day, it's not really doing you much good.
#3.) EAT CHIA SEEDS. You know about the CHIA PET, but you probably don't know that the seeds used to grow those things are a great energy source. You can buy them in bulk at health food stores, and they can be incorporated into most meals.
#4.) SNIFF SOME CITRUS. Research has shown that just the smell of citrus can make you more alert. You could cut into an orange and take a whiff, or you could rub some citrus-scented lotion on your hands. Both should work.
#5.) STAND ON YOUR TOES. According to experts, if you roll up and down on your toes, it wakes up your circulatory system. More blood starts flowing, which means more oxygen and glucose is sent through your body, so you feel more energized.
NINE FOODS THAT COULD HELP YOU AVOID SWINE FLU
Are you using hand sanitizer? Good for you. And are you sneezing into your shirtsleeve instead of your hand? Great. And how about your diet? Are you eating the right foods? Here are nine things experts say can boost your immune system, and help keep you from getting the swine . . . sorry, "H1N1" virus.
#1.) WATER. First, make sure you're drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day, minimum. If you're drinking less than that, it can compromise your immune system.
#2.) YOGURT. It has "probiotics," which are healthy bacteria that keep your intestines germ-free. In a Swedish study, 181 factory workers took a probiotic supplement, and they ended up using 33 percent fewer sick days than their co-workers did.
#3.) CHICKEN SOUP. Researchers have found that almost every type of chicken soup is good for a cold. Except chicken-flavored ramen noodles. An amino acid in chicken mimics a bronchitis drug called acetylcysteine. And the salty broth keeps mucus thin, the same way cough medicine does.
#4.) OATS AND BARLEY. When ANIMALS eat it, they're less likely to get the flu, herpes, and even anthrax. When WE eat it, it boosts immunity, makes injuries heal faster, and might even help antibiotics work better.
#5.) FISH. Oysters, lobster, crabs, and clams help white blood cells produce proteins that kill flu viruses. And salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich in omega-3 fats, which help increase airflow in your lungs, and prevent respiratory infections.
#6.) GARLIC. An ingredient in garlic called "allicin" fights off infections and bacteria. In a British study, people who took a garlic extract for three months were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold. And other studies show that garlic lowers your risk of certain types of cancer.
#7.) MUSHROOMS. They force your body to make more white blood cells, which fight off infectious disease. Plus, those cells your body makes then tend to be more aggressive than normal. That means they'll be more efficient in ridding your body of a nasty virus.
#8.) TEA. In a Harvard study, people who drank five cups of black tea every day for two weeks were ten times less likely to get the flu. It's because black and green tea both have a certain amino acid that boosts the amount of something called interferon in your blood.
#9.) SWEET POTATOES. Your skin is your largest organ, and it covers an impressive 16 square feet. It's also your first line of defense in the fight against bacteria and viruses. To stay healthy, your skin needs vitamin A. And sweet potatoes are loaded with it.
FRANCE WANTS A HEALTH WARNING ON PHOTOS OF MODELS
Politicians in France want to stamp a "health warning" on photographs of models that are altered in order to make them more appealing; part of a campaign against eating disorders. Some 50 politicians proposed the law to fight what they see as a warped image of women's bodies in the media. Said one of the French politicians: "These images can make people believe in a reality that often does not exist." Under the proposed law, all enhanced photos would be accompanied by a line saying: "Photograph retouched to modify the physical appearance of a person."
That reminded us of this Dove commercial that we think every young girl should see:
Shari's Hand Dipped, Chocolate Drizzled, White & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies go well with coffee!
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
10 ounces white chocolate chips
10 ounces semi- sweet chocolate chips
For dipping and drizzling: 1 large bar white melting chocolate & 1/2 bar dark, milk or semi-sweet chocolate.
Mix sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Beat for about a minute on low. Gradually add baking soda, salt and flour and then mix for another 2 minutes on low. Add chocolate chips and increase speed for a few minutes to incorporate. I use a pretty small scoop to have uniform size of the cookies. Bake at 350 for 10 or 12 minutes depending on your oven and the type of pan used. I use the shiny air bake pans. Remove cookies from oven when they are slightly browned and place immediately on cooling rack.
Once cookies have cooled, melt white chocolate. Dip each cookie 1/3 to 1/2 ways into white chocolate, place on wax paper to cool. After chocolate has 'set' slightly, melt the 1/2 bar of chocolate, place in a piping bag or a sandwich bag and snip off just a tiny bit of the tip.....drizzle dark chocolate on to the cookies....Cookies are best left out overnight covered lightly with foil while the chocolate sets more firmly.
Grandma Ruby's Death Weenies!
Okay, not really..... as long as you don't eat them every day you should be okay. This is a recipe from my Southern Granny Ruby although there are many different versions out there.
* * 1 pkg small cocktail wieners, (I used little smokies)
* * 1 pkg bacon (I use the center cut....a little less grease and fat)
* * Brown sugar
Cut bacon in half (or thirds), wrap around smokies. Secure with toothpick, place on old cookie sheet. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar.
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until bacon is crispy and brown sugar has caramelized
***These are really messy and will destroy your good cookie sheets so use the old ones your kids have already destroyed!
Everyone knows that if you're starting to feel sick, you should drink lots of liquids, overdose on vitamin C, and get plenty of rest. But there are also some WEIRDER ways to beat a cold. Here are five of them . . .![""]("http://imgsrv.kafe.com/image/kafe/UserFiles/Image/D_and_S_content/mens-engagement-rings.jpg")
things can be just as important as HOW you do them. Here are four schedule changes that could have a big impact on your life . . .
without all that caffeine . . .
