Use QR Codes for the Holidays

Holiday cards and holiday décor featuring QR codes can also be found for purchase, such as the artwork designed by Colorelish and sold on Etsy. Buy colorful, framed QR code art that resolves to a personalized holiday message for anyone who scans it; or, buy festive QR coded cards to send to friends and family. READ MORE

Holiday Cards With a Tech Twist

Sherry's QR code art card is on unplggd.com and geeksugar.com.

Why Do Some People Learn Faster?

The problem with praising kids for their innate intelligence — the “smart” compliment — is that it misrepresents the psychological reality of education. It encourages kids to avoid the most useful kind of learning activities, which is when we learn from our mistakes.

Samuel Beckett had the right attitude: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.” READ MORE>>

How to Clean Your House in 30 Minutes or Less

Cleaning house can feel like a gargantuan task, especially when you’ve let things slide for a few days too many.

Kitchen:

• Do the dishes or place them in the dishwasher after every meal. (5 minutes)
• Wipe down counter tops and stove with an all-purpose cleaner after cooking. (2 minutes)
• Wipe up any spills and sweep up any crumbs after eating. (2 minutes)
  Read more >>

8 Foods That Keep You Full (and 4 That Don’t)

Food That Keeps You Full:

Eggs
Avocados
Apples
Nuts and more>>


Food That Makes You Hungry:

Cookies, Crackers and Croissants
Alcohol
Cereal and more >>

The Single Best Ab Exercise You Can Do -- And It's Not A Crunch

"If someone was looking at one exercise and wanted to make sure he was getting the most abdominal work done in a way that makes him look better and function better," says trainer Nick Tumminello, "this is the exercise to do."
Read more >>

15 unusual uses for your hair dryer

Handheld hair dryers were introduced for the domestic market in 1920, and since then countless hairdos have relied on that combination of heat and air to achieve their coiffed perfection.

But the humble blow dryer has plenty of other services to offer around the house -- here are a handful of them: Read more >>

How to Cook Everything a Little Better

Bread Meat
After you've breaded a piece of meat for panfrying (dip in flour, dip in a water-and-egg-white mixture, dip in bread crumbs), spray the breaded meat with a little water from a spritz bottle. The moisture will prevent the crumbs from absorbing too much oil while still preserving that crispy crunch.
—David Burke, David Burke Kitchen, New York
Make a Sandwich
Hold a Knife
Scramble Eggs
Grill Fruit
and MORE >>

Are You Guilty of These Common Decorating Faux Pas?

These all-too-common decorating mistakes could be keeping your pad from looking fab. Before you hire a fancy decorator, read this so you won't make the same design errors again.

Don't cover your couch with too many decorative pillows. 
Don't use a super-pale color on the walls. 
Don't push all your seating against the walls in any room.
Don't buy your furniture all in one place.   Read more >>



 

Dog mourns at casket of fallen Navy SEAL

Tumilson’s Labrador retriever, Hawkeye, was photographed lying by Tumilson’s casket in a heart-wrenching image taken at the funeral service in Tumilson’s hometown of Rockford, Iowa, earlier this week. Read more >>

9 Ways to flatten your belly in one week

Another reason to hate Mondays? Tight post-weekend waistbands. Unless you spent the past 2 days living like a monk, the cocktails, movie snacks, and dinners out can all add up to one thing: belly bloat.

“If you wake up bloated on Monday morning, your weekend food choices are likely to blame,” explains Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. “In fact, overindulging for two days straight can easily cause a gain of three pounds. Fortunately, this weight gain is usually temporary and easy to get rid of in less than a week.”......  Read more >>

10 Simple Laundry Prep Solutions

Reverse the damage by grabbing your shampoo and a clean paintbrush and paint a line over the soiled collar before washing. ----- Read more >>

Bay Area rents, especially in Silicon Valley, are on the rise

The Bay Area's Rising Rents

City Average Rent Year-to-year growth
Palo Alto $2,450 13.5%
Cupertino $2,168 14%
San Mateo $1,964 14.5%
Santa Clara $1,903 15%
Redwood City $1,892 8.2%
Mountain View $1,812 13.2%
Sunnyvale $1,731 17.6%
San Jose $1,642 10.1%
Fremont $1,495 11.6%


http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_18520113

The 3 Veggies with the Least Nutritional Value

1.    Celery:
2.    Cucumbers
3.    Iceberg Lettuce
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/vitality/the-3-veggies-with-the-least-nutritional-value-2510765/

The Best Cleaning Products

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/634/the-best-cleaning-products/

Is It Safe to Bank Online

Read if you do online banking or shopping –
 
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Is-It-Safe-to-Bank-usnews-4209634978.html?x=0

A Hot-Water Bath for Thawing Meats

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/dining/a-hot-water-bath-for-thawing-meats-the-curious-cook.html