Also, if you are looking to rent out or sell your home, Born to Host can help you too. Click on the “Owner” tab and submit your information. A representative will contact you as soon as possible because they were born to host!

Cannes is the most well known city of the French Riviera. Located in the southeast of France, Cannes is popular for its annual Cannes Film Festival, this year it will be held on May 12-23, 2010. Every year the festival unites many of the top celebrities from around the world to acknowledge parts in each of their featured films. Cannes is also home to many luxury shops, fabulous restaurants, beautiful beaches and gorgeous hotels. Maybe you can even rub elbows with the stars!

So the question is: when will you start your search? Start your search soon because your new apartment in Cannes awaits you.

borntohost.net

FAX: +33(0)4.93.99.00.79

EMAIL: info@borntohost.net

1.The best way to my heart is definitely through my stomach. Even better if it’s for breakfast. Make your sweetie pie breakfast in bed! Heart shaped eggs and heart shaped pancakes. Breakfast doesn’t get any better than that.
2.So you took this fabulous picture on your fabulous vacation, what better way to display it then in your very own personalized fabulous picture frame!
3.Every year I received some sort of bead kit to make necklaces or bracelets. It’s a great gift for kids to use their creative side and make something straight from the heart.
4.Get a good nights rest with this cute pair of pillowcases.
5.Hello Kitty jewelry. Enough said.
6. Nothing says I love you more than chocolates and flowers. For the traditional gift-giver, check out these fabulous duos.
7.Apple’s “Love at First Touch” says it all. Buy any of their iPod’s and get FREE engraving! Need some inspiration? They also have a gallery of engravings that you can choose from.
8.Customize a pair of Nike Dunk Low Premium iD Shoe. You decide what colors, where they go and you even get to add an id in 8 characters or less.
9.For the ultimate beer enthusiast, give the gift of beer for one whole year from The Beer of the Month Club. The recipient will receive award-winning microbrews from around the country every month.
10.At Build-A-Bear Workshop you can make your own Be Mine Dalmation (while supplies last) complete with its own heart shaped collar. These are great for your loved ones of all ages.

1. Build-A-Bear will be donating $15,000 to the Red Cross. And now through January 31, 2010 customers can donate $1 at the cash registers in any U.S. Build-A-Bear Workshop.
2. Hope for Haiti Musical Lineup – January 22, 2010 at 8 PM EST. “George Clooney, who has organized the telecast, will host from LA, with CNN’s Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti and Wyclef in New York City. According to E! Online, “Twilight Saga” star Robert Pattinson will present from London. The performances will be available on the iTunes store, with proceeds benefiting relief funds for the earthquake-stricken nation. The two-hour telethon will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT as well as networks including PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Brave, E! Entertainment and more, with online live streaming available on YouTube, Hulu, MySpace and more domains as well.”
3. Text “HAITI” to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your phone bill. Text “YELE” to 501501 and a $5 donation will be added to your phone bill.
4. Donate blood! The American Red Cross is always in need of blood donations. Click here to locate your nearest blood bank. They are always in need of Type O Negative and Type B Negative blood donors.
5. Continental Airlines has set up a program to its frequent flier members. Members of this program can donate to the American Red Cross and AmeriCares.
6. Handbags Help Haiti – You can buy discontinued or imperfect Jordana Paige handbags for only $50. With 100% of all proceeds going towards Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief, it’s like wearing your heart on your sleeve shoulder.
7. Chase Bank will give $100 million to the charity with the most votes. I just voted for Invisible Children.
8. Help the abandoned animals of Haiti through PETA.
9. Doctors Without Borders is a national medical organization that receives close to 89% of its funding from private funding, not the government. Created in France in 1971, Doctors Without Borders or Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides medical aid to about 60 countries who are in need.
10. Habitat for Humanity has already started to plan their part in rebuilding homes for as many Haitians as they possibly can. They are always looking for volunteers to help out with projects as well.

Here is an extensive list of other organizations that you can donate using your American Express points or you can make a cash donation.

1. Elf (2003) – Will Ferrell is hilarious in this movie. “Elf is also genuinely funny. Will Ferrell, as Buddy the adopted elf, is hysterically sincere. James Caan, as his rediscovered father, executes his surly dumbfoundedness with perfect aplomb. Zooey Deschanel, as a department store worker with whom Buddy falls in love, is adorably sardonic. Director Jon Favreau (Swingers) shepherds the movie through all the obligatory Christmas cliches and focuses on material that’s sometimes subtle and consistently surprising. Frankly, Elf feels miraculous. Also featuring Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Ed Asner as Santa Claus.” –Bret Fetzer, amazon.com

2. Home Alone (1990) – As a troubled and mischievous 8 year old kid, Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) is accidently left at home while his family leaves for their Christmas vacation. When the family arrives at their destination, they realize Kevin is home alone and try to get home as soon as possible. When Kevin realizes he is home alone, he takes full advantage of his situation. He also holds takes care of some burglars who are trying to break into his home.

3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – This movie is dark and kind of creepy, quite opposite of every other holiday movie out there. “Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town, is bored with doing the same thing every year for Halloween. One day he stumbles into Christmas Town, and is so taken with the idea of Christmas that he tries to get the resident bats, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween town to help him put on Christmas instead of Halloween — but alas, they can’t get it quite right.” – John Reeves, IMDb.com

4. A Christmas Story (1983) – “There’s nary a scene to forget in this near-perfect nostalgic look at where Americana and Christmastime meet. The story of a young boy’s epic quest to get his hands on a Red Ryder BB gun provides the hilarious backdrop for a timeless tale rife with family hijinks, frozen tongues and, of course, sex-oozing leg lamps.” – moviefone.com

5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1947) – Make sure you have a box of tissues ready for this one. “George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot. Capra’s triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming–in the teary-eyed final reel–his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It’s a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic.” –Robert Horton, amazon.com

I respect that attitude but I will always enjoy the little goodies, chocolates, cakes and snacks that come with the Christmas spirit. It’s impossible for me to ignore and pretend it isn’t there. Why do that? I will never pretend those luscious chocolates and cakes don’t exist; I accept them with open arms. That being said, I hate gaining a huge amount of weight because of my own gluttony. Sometimes, it’s unavoidable but I DO have some willpower and I like to keep in (relative) shape.

If a balance is maintained, meaning, indulging in fattening foods mixed with exercise and healthful meals, I believe that everyone can win with this equation. A common problem of participating in activities during the winter, is winter! It’s snowing or plain miserable outside, not very inspiring for a workout. It makes it even difficult to get out to go to the gym in horrible weather. Where is this all leading?

Having a Nautilus Commercial Series Elliptical Trainer at home in your basement or extra room of your house is a perfect solution to keeping fit not just during the winter but also all year long but particularly during the holiday months where eating is practically done all day long, at least where I come from! Whether they’re treats brought into the office or sent there by clients or the snowflake cookies and fudge sitting around the house, well, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Temptation is hard to resist. Face it.

So wouldn’t it be ideal to have the Nautilus Elliptical Trainer so you can workout at home? Maybe you know the person who would absolutely love (and need) this. And the whole family can use this, too. I think it’s a wonderful gift albeit extravagant. Sure, some people would rather have a $6,000 necklace or something luxurious and beautiful, but the Nautilus Commercial Series Elliptical Trainer is useful and the bodies of those who are going to benefit from it, will be beautiful. Want it for yourself? Then get it!

About the Elliptical Trainer - The patented four-bar linkage system, built into each foot pedal, follows the natural movement of the feet during the entire elliptical motion. Because users will feel more comfortable, their workouts will be more challenging, leading to better results. The articulating foot pedals also keep hips, knees, and ankles properly aligned. Features:
* Remote Operation Control built into arm handles for easy operation
* Articulating foot pedals keep your hips, knees, and ankles properly aligned
* 400-pound capacity; measures 20 x 62 x 82 inches (W x H x D); 15-year frame warranty
* Commercial-quality cordless elliptical trainer with innovative My Stride system
* Dynamically calculates your stride length and adjusts speed and intensity

Save $300 if you purchase it at Amazon (restrictions apply).

More information or get it now

The Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster makes a wonderful gift for someone who loves to curl up on the sofa with a big bowl and munch on America’s most popular snack while watching an absorbing movie or favorite TV shows. There’s nothing more comforting and fun than watching your big screen (or little screen!), grabbing a huge handful of popcorn and then stuffing it in your mouth! Okay, some of you might eat one at a time but admit it, it’s fun to try to get a whole bunch in there at once sometimes!

Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster popper quickly pops up to 6-quarts of fresh popcorn in just minutes. There’s a motorized stir rod that moves the corn kernels so they don’t burn, which also means there will be very few, if any, unpopped kernels. When the popcorn’s ready, just turn the bowl upside down and it’s ready for major munching! The appliance also makes up to 3 cups of mall-kiosk-style glazed nuts or roasted nuts, so you can make some Cracker Jacks!

Get a Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster now!

As part of Amazon’s Black Friday Deals Week, Horton Hears a Who is available for $5 between Noon and 4pm today PST ONLY (November 25, 2009)!

Description of Horton Hears a Who
One of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved stories roars to life as never before in this enormous animated adventure that proves “a person’s a person no matter how small.” A playful pachyderm named Horton becomes a reluctant hero when he discovers the microscopic city of Who-ville on a floating speck of dust and embarks on a hilarious adventure to save the town from the dangers of the jungle. Featuring a who’s who of superstar voice talent, including Jim Carrey, Steve Carell and Carol Burnett, this heartwarming hit comedy delivers loads of laughs and tons of fun for the whole family.

O R D E R   H O R TO N   H E A R S    A   W H O   N O W !

An FYI on how it works at Amazon

To receive the instant discount:

1. Add all products described in the promotional offer message to your Shopping Cart.
2. The discount will be reflected on the final order checkout page and will be allocated to all participating items in the Shopping Cart.
3. If you remove any of the participating promotion items from your Shopping Cart or violate any of the terms and conditions listed below, the promotion will be invalid, and the discount will be removed from the order.
4. If you return any of the items involved in the promotion, the discount previously applied to the order will be subtracted from the return credit.

Add Elf to your cart and check out during the time allowed to receive the discounted price.

Click on the photo to get Elf now.

For more Black Friday Deals, click here.

1. Make a list of what dishes you’ll have – You obviously need the basics: turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie. Now, are any of your guests vegetarian or vegan? If so, plan to offer food they can eat: tofurkey? roasted veggies? a hearty gratin? Do you want to have hors d’œuvres and appetizers? Maybe you don’t want the usuals and want to stray from tradition. Roast beef instead of turkey? That’s fine. Here are some great side dish ideas from Mark Bittman you can make ahead of time: 101 Head Starts on the Day. Just decide on this list, write out a shopping list and move on to step 2.

2. Plan out a detailed schedule/timeline about when to make or do what – Many dishes can be made the night before and shopping must be done in advance (remember to include decorations if needed on your shopping list), which will save you from doing too many things on one day and at the last minute when you should be finalizing decorations and little details. Write out a timeline and put everything where it belongs, planning the prep time and cook time if necessary. Remember about straightening up the house, decorations and set up, and getting dressed! What time will you wake up? Make sure you get a good night’s sleep the night before!

3. Make sure you will have enough storage space in the frig for the dishes you make ahead of time. – There’s nothing worse than not having enough space for everything. This includes counter space. If you don’t have that to work on, you will run into some problems. A cook needs her/his space!

4. Enlist the help of family and friends – You don’t have to do everything on your own, like you think you can. Unless you are Martha Stewart’s clone or Bree from Desperate Housewives, it’s not possible. Accept this fact now. Delegate various tasks, dishes and desserts to other people, and that will lighten your workload. You will be happy about it. It’s that simple.

Extra Pointers
1. If you have things that need to be thawed, put that on your timeline.
2. Remember to tidy up your bathroom.
3. Have enough space for guests’ coats.
4. Iron your table linens.
5. Make sure you have enough silverware, dishware and linens.
6. Ensure your chairs and tables are functioning properly.
7. Remember about drinks for everyone!!
8. Decide what you will wear ahead of time.
9. Visualize in your mind what the day will be like.
10. Enjoy yourself and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sadly, many items these days are not meant to last so that you will buy another one over and over again. This is not only bad for the environment because these things end up in landfills, but also, you the consumer waste an exorbitant amount of money over time. This is why I like to recommend durable appliances that will last quite a while.

Enter the stainless steel Lello 4080 Musso Lussino 1.5-Quart Ice Cream Maker. Here’s what people have to say about it:

Fully automatic and precisely controlled by a timer, this machine takes the trouble and guesswork out of making ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato, and frozen drinks at home. Ingredients go into the bowl, the timer is set, two buttons are pressed and about 30 minutes later 1-1/2 quarts of a frozen confection are ready for consumption. Because the machine doesn’t require its bowl to be frozen for hours in a refrigerator’s freezer (like less expensive machines that only churn), it can immediately begin making another batch. If a batch becomes too hard the machine shuts off automatically. Not only does it work professionally it looks the part, as the housing, bowl, and paddle are made of stainless steel for sanitation and easy cleaning. The 100-watt machine measures 12 inches wide, 11 inches high, and 18 inches deep, and it weighs 38 pounds. Made it Italy, it carries a one-year warranty against defects. An instruction booklet with many recipes is included.

Find out more about it

Ok. It’s expensive but it is one of the best blenders you will ever have and it’s made to last.

Read more about it

“A lot of Americans think they’re eating a healthy diet these days. But it’s easy to be fooled by our assumptions and the ways that food manufacturers play on them.

Take chicken. The average American eats about 90 pounds of it a year, more than twice as much as in the 1970s, part of the switch to lower-fat, lower-cholesterol meat proteins. But roughly one-third of the fresh chicken sold in the U.S. is “plumped” with water, salt and sometimes a seaweed extract called carrageenan that helps it retain the added water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says chicken processed this way can still be labeled “all natural” or “100% natural” because those are all natural ingredients, even though they aren’t naturally found in chicken.

Producers must mention the added ingredients on the package — but the lettering can be small: just one-third the size of the largest letter in the product’s name. If you’re trying to watch your sodium to cut your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, it pays to check the Nutrition Facts label. Untreated chicken has about 45 to 60 mgs of sodium per four-ounce serving. So-called enhanced or “plumped” chicken has between 200 and 400 mgs of sodium per serving, almost as much as a serving of fast-food french fries.

Adding salt water became widespread when big discount stores began selling groceries and wanted to sell chicken at uniform weights and prices. Plumping packaged chicken helps even out the weight. But that means consumers are paying for added salt water at chicken prices — an estimated $2 billion worth every year, according to the Truthful Labeling Coalition, a group of chicken producers that don’t enhance their products….”

Read the whole article

Scientists now know enough about the long-term consequences of ingesting these powerful chemicals to advise that we minimize our consumption of pesticides.

What’s the Difference?
EWG research has found that people who eat the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables ingest fewer than 2 pesticides daily. The Guide helps consumers make informed choices to lower their dietary pesticide load.

Will Washing and Peeling Help?
Nearly all the studies used to create these lists assume that people rinse or peel fresh produce. Rinsing reduces but does not eliminate pesticides. Peeling helps, but valuable nutrients often go down the drain with the skin. The best approach: eat a varied diet, rinse all produce and buy organic when possible.

How Was This Guide Developed?
EWG analysts have developed the Guide based on data from nearly
87,000 tests for pesticide residues in produce conducted between
2000 and 2007 and collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. You can find a detailed
description of the criteria EWG used to develop these rankings and
the complete list of fruits and vegetables tested at our dedicated
website, www.foodnews.org.

“Cable is one of the first things you should cut to keep expenses down, but that doesn’t mean you should ditch your favorite shows. J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly cut his cable bill from $65.82 to $11.30 without missing a single harrowing plot twist. Here’s how he did it…

J.D. basically designed his own à la carte programming instead of paying for a mess of unnecessary cable channels. He relied on two resources:…”

Continue reading

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Citrus Infused, Jumbo Lump Crabcake

Beef and Mushroom Turnover

Fresh Sea Scallops in Bacon

and how can we forget about the American Duo. This is a must have at your party.

These are just a few samples of what is available. There are many more yummy appetizers to choose from like Philly Cheesesteak Springrolls, meatballs, paninis, dumplings, reuben sandwiches, ham and swiss puffs, mufalettas, chicken and cheese enchiladas and more! Too meaty you say? Don’t worry there’s lots of veggie items: Artichoke & Spinach Filo Tartlets, Asparagus Rollups, Porcini Risotto Croquettes, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Potato Pancakes (Latkes), Crescent Puffs -Sundried Tomato & Feta and more.

They’re easy to prepare and you can order for as many guests as you need. Reasonable prices, too.

I’m hungry now.

Order your Superbowl Appetizers Now

You need this.

About the Synthesizer
The Yamaha S90 ES combines a stunningly natural acoustic piano sound with all the sonic flexibility of the award winning Motif ES. A new multi-velocity, stereogrand piano sample, the new sound board simulation and the half-damper capability (when used with the Yamaha FC3) all ensure a rich and realistic acoustic piano sound. The 128 note polyphony tone generator, Studio Connections compatibility, mLAN expansion slot, and PLG expandability give it all the synthesis power and control capabilities of our Motif ES line.

Get Your Yamaha 88-Key Synthesizer Now

Order Your Non Toxic Water Color Paint Set Now

Cute Obama T-Shirts

Get Fit and Have Fun at the Same Time!

Friday Toy Sale

Get a safe cell phone now

Why on earth am I featuring a BBQ in the dead of winter? Pfff, if you know me (of course I realize none of you don’t really know me but anyway…) I’m someone who WOULD feature precisely that: a BBQ during the dead of winter – because that is when it’s so great to have a BBQ! Set this awesome seasoned cast iron hibachi on a deck (place something underneath so it doesn’t burn your wood deck!) or somewhere safe, and BBQ away. NO. You don’t have to stay outside. Just barbeque whatever you’re having and eat indoors. Duh, just because it’s snowing outside, or it’s butt cold out there doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of the marvelous world of bbq. Get it?

Now, Order Your Seasoned Cast Iron Round Hibachi Grill NOW

Complete with a tin storage box to reduce clutter, this set of 11 round, stainless-steel cookie cutters comes in handy for all seasons. The cutters range in size from 3/4 inch high to 3-5/8 inches high, and they have rolled edges on top to protect fingers during the cutting process. They’re constructed to be long-lasting and are dishwasher-safe.

* Professional gauge pastry and cookie cutters with a plain edge.
* Set of 11 in a reusable storage tin, ranging in size from 7/8″Dia to 3-3/4″Diameter
* Stainless steel.

Get these cookie cutters now

* Full-color 3-D spinning globe
* 7 touch-sensitive areas allow you to select information about all 7 the continents
* 10 activity buttons
* Hundreds of facts about people, music, clothing, customs, geography, food, animals, inventions and languages
* Built-in LCD screen visually reinforces the learning
* More than 20 minutes of audio entertainment
* Narrated by a cheerful character

Get a Talking Globe now

Lenox Holly Damask 60-by-104-Inch Tablecloth

What is Scrapbooking and Where Did it Come From?

With the advent of affordable paper, precursors to modern scrapbooks became available to a wider array of people. Beginning in the 15th century, commonplace books, popular in England, emerged as a way to compile information that included recipes, quotes, letters, poems and more. Each commonplace book was unique to its creator’s particular interests. Friendship albums became popular in the 16th century. These albums were used much like modern day yearbooks, where friends or patrons would enter their names, titles and short texts or illustrations at the request of the album’s owner. These albums were often created as souvenirs of European tours and would contain local memorabilia including coats of arms or works of art commissioned by local artisans. Starting in 1570, it became fashionable to incorporate colored plates depicting popular scenes such as Venetian costumes or Carnival scenes. These provided affordable options as compared to original works and, as such, these plates were not sold to commemorate or document a specific event but specifically as embellishments for albums. In 1775, James Granger published a history of England with several blank pages at the end of the book. The pages were designed to allow the book’s owner to personalize the book with his own memorabilia. The practice of leaving pages to personalize at the end of books became known as Grangerizing. Additionally, friendship albums and school yearbooks afforded girls in the 18th and 19th centuries an outlet through which to share their literary skills, and allowed girls an opportunity to document their own personalized historical record previously not readily available to them.

The advent of modern photography began with the first permanent photograph created by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1826. Photography became available to an ever-widening population with the invention of George Eastman’s paper photographs in the late 1880s and the mass production of the Kodak Brownie, a camera designed to be simple (and inexpensive) enough for a child, in 1900. This allowed the average person to begin to incorporate photographs into their scrapbooks.

Old scrapbooks tended to have photos mounted with photomount corners and perhaps notations of who was in a photo or where and when it was taken. They often included bits of memorabilia like newspaper clippings, letters, etc. With the availability of printed material it is likely that the content of scrapbooks shifted away from one’s own hand-writing or drawings or those of one’s family members toward commercially available printed mat ephemera, memorabilia collections and journaling. Modern scrapbooking has evolved into creating attractive displays of photos, text, journaling and memorabilia.

Modern Day Scrapbooking

Marielen Christensen of Spanish Fork, Utah is often credited with reviving interest in scrapbooking in the United States. She began designing creative pages for her family’s photo memories, inserting the completed pages into sheet protectors collected in 3-ring binders. By 1980, she had assembled over fifty volumes and was invited to display them at the World Conference on Records in Salt Lake City. Marielen and her husband AJ authored and published a how-to book, Keeping Memories Alive, and opened a scrapbook store in 1981 that remains open today.

In addition to preserving memories, the hobby is popular for the strong social network that scrapbooking can provide. Hobbyists, known as “scrappers” or “scrapbookers,” get together and scrapbook at each other’s homes, local scrapbook stores, scrapbooking conventions, retreat centers, and even on cruises. The attendees share tips and ideas as well as enjoying a social outlet. The term “crop,” a reference to cropping or trimming printed photographs, was coined to describe these events. In the late 1990s, many scrappers in the US opened stores to turn their hobby into a business.[citation needed] Within approximately 5 years, many of those stores were forced to close due to a downturn in the economy and the fact that many store owners mistakenly assumed that loving to scrap was enough to run a retail store.[citation needed] Many owners simply didn’t know how to run their stores. During this time, more multi-level direct sales companies were formed. Several were closed due to mismanagement, while others weathered the tough times. It also gave rise to a new breed of business – the home-based retailer. Companies arrived to provide information for individuals who wanted to break out of the direct sales mold and go out on their own. While vendors had traditionally stayed away from the home-based market due to fraud, they began to warm to the idea of the non-traditional sales channels as a way to get their products in front of more consumers through home parties and workshops. Working with a company like this enabled them to tap into legitimate home-based retailers.

The scrapbooking industry doubled in size between 2001 and 2004 to $2.5 billion with over 1,600 companies creating scrapbooking products by 2003. Creative Memories, a home-based retailer of scrapbooking supplies founded in 1987, saw $425 million in retail sales in 2004. In the US, this hobby has surpassed golf in popularity: one in four households has someone playing golf; one in three has someone involved in scrapbooking.

Shop for Scrapbook Materials by clicking here: Scrapbooking

“Out of the thousands of new releases that came into our cubicles this year, we’ve chosen our 100 favorites, from an elegant pop-up alphabet and a deliciously dishy guide to fragance to an enthralling biography of an iconic leader and an encyclopedic history of a sport and the world that plays it. Here they are, so click below.”

Best Books of 2008

For Photos, Specs and Prices Click Here: Handy Portable Stereo Recorder

Get it now

From the retail supermarket outlets of huge, publicly traded corporations comes processed, manipulated, engineered “food products” – produced by other wings of the same corporation. These artificial, toxic treats are then sold with the blessings of the Federal Trade Commission and Food and Drug Administration – government organizations charged with safeguarding the public good – laying the foundations for future disease and chronic ill-health for the consumer, and a guaranteed source of revenue for the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.

Kevin reveals the shocking truth of how drugs – which are being advertised directly to the consumer, pushing their use to an all-time high – are actually the cause of illness and disease climbing to near epidemic levels.

And, though it sounds dire, Kevin offers a light in the darkness and directs the reader to scores and scores of alternative therapies, medical practices, philosophies and – most importantly – potential cures that help your body regain its natural state of health and vibrancy.

So follow Kevin on an amazing journey through the behind-the-scenes world of corporate sponsored “nutrition” and “health,” and learn about “Natural Cures ‘THEY’ Don’t Want You To Know About.”

Get Natural Cures Now

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

It’s funny how most of the world wants Obama to win, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that American wants him to win. It seems the educated, rational and hopeful people of the world who would vote for Obama if they could, are far from sharing the same sentiments as middle America.

If people had a sense of reason, and could just put their partisan role aside, the obvious person who will turn the U.S. around (from its horrible and colossal downward spiral), would be Obama.

He would not only be good for America, but he’d make the world a better place.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

These skis feature the world’s first on-board power adjustment system. Want to lay it all on the line on the groomers? Turn the Power Switch to the on position. A carbon fiber rod compresses internal springs toward the front of the ski, which gives the Tigershark more power. Leave the switch off for cruising or the occasional tree run. Extended Double Grip construction lends this ski amazing edge hold, while the Tigershark’s iPT 14.0 TS Binding allows for a smooth, natural flex and precise transmission from skier input to the snow. Two layers of titanium make this all-mountain Volkl ski appropriate for advanced all-mountain skiers who Mach down the groom and enjoy the occasional off-piste foray.

Order yours now

Get Costumes EARLY

Check it out here

Now. Go to Amazon right now!

Anyway, it’s really fun to make pizza at home but you really require a good, solid pizza oven that will do the job like no other oven. It’s totally worth spending a little extra cash so you and your family can enjoy scrumptious pizzas from here on in.

This oven is perfect for small applications and spaces. Pizza, pretzels and bread products can be cooked directly on the baking surface. The timer can be set for up to 15 minute increments and allows for continuous use. It comes with two Corderite ceramic baking stones. This unit is designed for pre-baked crust only and is not recommended for fresh dough or pan pizza baking. In stock and ready to ship. Features: Stackable oven. Exterior and door are constructed of 20 gauge stainless steel. The interior is constructed of 18 gauge high heat aluminized steel.

Get one now (see photo)

Related: More than 60 Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pizza

“1. “Our branches are there to sell you, not serve you.”
In the late 1990s bank branches were considered outmoded relics soon to be replaced by ATMs and Internet banking. But just the opposite happened: In 1998 there were 89,000 bank branches in the U.S.; by 2007 there were 97,000. Why? The industry realized consumer banking was profitable and that despite the predictions of Silicon Valley wonks, the main criterion consumers use in choosing a bank is proximity, says SNL Financial analyst Jennifer Payne.

But branches aren’t just about convenience; they’re a bank’s primary sales floor. Brochures for services as varied as retirement accounts and home loans are on display, and everyone from the teller on up is trained to make a sale. That’s because in the current low-interest-rate climate, it’s harder to generate revenue from interest alone. Many players in the industry have been trying to boost fee- and service-based income, so if a teller sees you have a mortgage, he might suggest you meet with a loan officer to discuss a home-equity loan. Says Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com, “The more products a customer has with a bank, the more likely he is to stay with that bank.”

2. “Our fees will only go up.”
With the economy slowing and big losses looming in the mortgage market, banks are looking for reliable revenue streams. Hence punitive fees — for overdrawing your account, say, or using a competitor’s ATM — are increasing. The average ATM service charge doubled between 1998 and 2007, and overdraft fees brought in $17.5 billion in revenue in 2006, up from $10.3 billion in 2004, according to the Center for Responsible Lending. Rubecca Hegarty, a married mother of three in Woodridge, Ill., says she often pays upwards of $100 a month in overdraft fees to Chase, since, like most banks, it changes the order of purchases so that large debts get paid first — increasing the likelihood of incurring fees on smaller purchases. JPMorgan Chase says it does this because big payments like a mortgage are more important to consumers, so they get priority.

Revenue from penalties can be addictive for banks, says Harvard Business School Professor Gail McGovern, but “they’re going to face problems from angry customers, which leads to big call-center bills, employee dissatisfaction and turnover.”

3. “We change our interest rates all the time.”
Regardless of what your credit card agreement says, you can never be sure how much interest banks will charge you. For example, nearly all cards have a default rate — as high as 30 percent — which banks apply when you’ve done something wrong, usually after two late payments in 12 months. But some banks have cut that to one, says Curtis Arnold, founder of CardRatings.com.
Banks can also change the terms of your agreement, raising rates when they like (though you can opt out and pay off the balance at the old rate as long as you never use the card again). Bank of America did that recently, upping many cardholders’ rates from 10 or 12 percent to 27 percent or more, even though they’d done nothing wrong. “There’s no clarity on what criteria can lead a bank to raise interest rates,” says Robert Manning, director of the Center for Consumer Financial Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “It’s a black box.” A Bank of America spokesperson says the company periodically reviews the credit risk of its accounts and adjusts rates accordingly, adding that in the past year 94 percent have had no increase.

4. “College campuses are a gold mine for us.”
Students are the customers of the future, and banks are increasingly courting them, sometimes right on campus. More than 120 universities have cut deals with banks to issue student-ID cards that are also ATM and check cards. Schools can make millions from these deals, sometimes even taking a small cut of individual purchases.

tudents are also a hot market for credit card issuers; banks will make private deals with alumni associations to get contact info for students, parents and even ticket buyers to university athletic events. Card companies cut deals to set up booths on campus, and Chase even inked a deal with Facebook to display ads and set up a Chase group on its Web site.

The problem? Mounting credit card debt among college kids, for one. “Universities don’t negotiate on behalf of students,” says Manning. “They’re negotiating the best deal for the university.” A spokesperson for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities says don’t blame schools — banks would market to students anyway, and universities at least try to get the best rates they can for students.

5. “In debt? The courts won’t help.”
Since the late 1990s banks have been including mandatory arbitration agreements in their contracts for many of their products, including auto loans, checking accounts, home-equity loans and credit cards. Such agreements prohibit you from suing and instead require you to use an arbitrator — someone picked by the arbitration firm named in your credit card contract to hear the dispute and decide the outcome.

While these clauses were originally designed to thwart class-action suits, the banks have also been using them for debt collection, says Paul Bland, anattorney with consumer-advocacy group Public Justice. There are even times when consumers, often victims of identity theft and unaware of the debt, aren’t present when awards are handed down against them.

A recent suit against an arbitration firm brought by the San Francisco city attorney noted that arbitrators ruled in favor of banks in 100 percent of the 18,045 California cases brought against consumers from January 2003 through March 2007. “From the consumer perspective, it’s a nightmare,” says Bland. If a bank brings arbitration against you, hire a lawyer and request a hearing — in person…..” Read the rest

The reason the smell is embedded in everything is probably because your dog just went into your car directly on the seats with no protection. As a result, his hair got into everything, which we all know is very difficult to remove. The worst scenario is when Fido has taken a swim in the lake and gets into the car afterward. Yuck! Anyway, if you protect your seats properly, it will combat this olfactory issues that makes you a lone driver (since no one wants to get into your noxious car). Here’s an idea: get a seat cover!

The Guardian Gear Car Seat Covers protects the upholstery of rear car seats to reduce the need for costly upholstery cleanings. It fully covers the back seat, floor area and the back of the front seats. Additionally, the hammock style seat helps to keep pets safely in the back, where they should be. Made of black, heavy-duty, scratch-resistant nylon this gear also includes covers to protect headrests. It attaches securely to seats with bungee cords and the cover unzips to allow a passenger to sit alongside pet if necessary. You can install it very easily into cars or SUVs that have front and rear headrests. The seat cover is machine washable. Measures 63″L x 57″W.

See a photo of it and get more info

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UPDATE: This item is no longer available but check out this Elliptical Trainer. It’s even better.

Download a free demo to try it out (MAC)

Download a free demo to try it out (PC)

This dog mattress is for larger dogs, who sometimes tend to have more joint problems. Give them the cushy coziness they deserve with this Petsafe Heated Wellness Sleeper.

See a photo of it and Get Your Big Doggie Bed here

The Roomba 560 even cleans on schedule when it’s most convenient for you. Use the on-board scheduling system to easily program up to seven days and times per week for Roomba to vacuum–whether you’re at home or on the go. The Roomba 560 also offers the most efficient room-to-room cleaning available using two innovative, new Virtual Wall Lighthouses.

The Roomba 560 picks up amazing amounts of dirt and debris with the simple touch of a button. There are spinning side brushes that grab dirt and dust from corners and along wall edges, as well as two high-speed, counter-rotating brushes that pick up pet hair, cat litter, food crumbs, and other dirt from floors. The vacuum sucks up the debris and deposits it into a large, easy to empty bag-less dustbin, and its fine-filtration system traps dust, pollen, and other allergens inside the unit, reducing infiltration into the living environment.

You will NOT regret this purchase.

Buy it now

See a photo and get more details

See samples from the book

It’s never too late to start a garden even though we are getting ready for fall. What am I talking about, you ask? Grow food indoors. Why not? If you have a spare room, or better yet a basement, you can grow many things indoors. How?

Get a Turbo Grow Room or a 36 Plant Dual Chamber Hydroponic Grow Cabinet!

These allow you to easily grow vegetables and herbs indoors. The latter looks like a regular cabinet so you can even put it in your living room. No one would even know there are living plants inside the cabinet. Closed, that is!

Click here for more info and to see a photo of the tent.