Feng Shui: What is it and How Can It Benefit You?

Cold Weather Blowouts

This is the time of year when we wind down from the holidays and start into the long haul of deep winter. A simple, low stress party can be just the thing to get us through the cold slog to spring. These party themes should inspire you to spend some time celebrating with friends and family.

1. Turn up the heat in your house, pick up some tropical and beach-themed decorations, and have a winter beach party. Serve tropical drinks and use a stovetop grill pan to make hamburgers and hot dogs or grilled fish for tacos.
2. Have a hot drink party – make several flavors of hot cocoa, mulled wine and cider, and hot teas. Accompany the drinks with all the fixings – flavored syrups, marshmallows, whipped cream, and sprinkles. Keep the theme going with sweet and savory fondues.
3. Celebrate February holidays and events – host a Super Bowl party with a football theme, have a sweetheart party for Valentine’s Day, or hold a movie-themed bash for Oscar night. You could even have a patriotic party for President’s Day.
4. Of course you can always have a plain old winter themed party. Decorate the house with snowflakes and white twinkle lights, and set out a hearty feast on a snow-white tablecloth. Encourage guests to bring a winter item, anything from a hat and scarf set to a winter mix CD, to swap!

New York Knicks: A New Era Dawning

After entering the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the New York Knicks look to build on last season's successes. Under the leadership of head coach Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks have been steadily improving over the last several seasons, and that's not looking to change. The team truly is stronger than it's been in years. Implementing D'Antoni's keen and lightning fast offensive strategies, they'll bring a lot of action to the court and keep the future at Madison Square Garden bright.  Amar'e Stoudemire is coming off one of his best seasons, and the arrival of Carmelo Anthony's crafty offensive game will continue to pay off in the clutch baskets that define his reputation. Add to that the defensive talents of Tyson Chandler, the arrival of veteran Mike Bibby, and a roster full of young, hungry players, and Knicks fans have a lot to be excited about.  Coming off of their first winning season in over a decade, the Knicks look to push forward into an era of prosperity not seen since the days of Patrick Ewing. Pay attention, because there's excitement ahead!

Go to http://www.nba.com/knicks for all of your Knicks needs, including schedules, tickets, merchandise, and more!

New Jersey Nets: Ready to Surprise

The New Jersey Nets have one more year to make a splash in Newark before heading to Brooklyn. There's still plenty of time to say goodbye in style, though, and head coach Avery Johnson intends to put some excitement into the Prudential Center. Last season may have had its disappointments, but Johnson is more than capable of helping his team win, as his time with the Dallas Mavericks made abundantly clear. With the start of his sophomore season with the Nets, he's got talent to make that happen. Deron Williams is a two time all-star, and the recent acquisitions of veterans Shelden Williams and Mehmet Okur will add some serious and needed depth to the Nets' frontcourt game. This adds, of course, to a roster already featuring the skills of players like Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, and Sundiata Gaines. A number of people will tell you that this is a year of rebuilding to get ready for the team's move into the Barclays Center for the 2012-13 season. Those folks, though, are ignoring a lot of talent already on the roster, and a coach well acquainted with success. With all of the strength in Jersey this season, the Nets may just surprise the naysayers who think that the team is only building for Brooklyn. Stick around, because these guys aren't done with Jersey just yet.

For all of your Nets needs, including schedules, merchandise, and tickets, visit http://www.nba.com/nets

New York at the Holidays

There’s nothing quite like New York City at the holidays – festive crowds, sparkling lights, and countless attractions that perfectly capture the season's spirit. Here are some must-visit New York sites for the holiday season:

Rockefeller Center
No holiday adventure in New York would be complete without a visit to this iconic location. Every year, thousands of people flock to see the dazzling Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. Make sure you also check out the famous Rockefeller ice skating rink, where you can watch skaters in action or strap on a pair of skates and join the fun.

Holiday Windows
At Christmastime, New York’s most famous department stores unveil brilliantly artistic and elaborate holiday window displays. Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, and Barneys are just a few of the stores that attract awed window-gazing crowds every season.

Radio City Christmas Spectacular
If you want the ultimate New York City holiday experience, make sure to book tickets for the classic Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. The show features song and dance numbers that will truly dazzle you, as well as stunning sets and costumes. The iconic Rockettes steal the show, of course!

Holiday Train Show
Every year, the New York Botanical Garden hosts a holiday exhibit featuring model trains and replicas of New York City landmarks, popular with people of all ages. The exhibit is housed in Garden’s Conservatory, a lovely indoor space, so it’s an ideal holiday outing in any kind of weather.

New York City Pops
If you love holiday music, you won’t find a better concert that the annual New York City Pops holiday celebration at Carnegie Hall. This year the featured singers are John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, described by the New York Times as a “musical match made in heaven.”

5 Great December Songs

The air may be chilly by November, but all hope of summer is truly lost by the time December rolls around. If anticipating the holidays isn't enough to sustain you, it’s time to start appreciating winter’s true gift: the cold is a great excuse for spending more time snuggled up in your warm bed with your sweetie. Your soundtrack for spooning can be seasonally appropriate but also heart-warming. Depending on your decade of choice, here are some wintery tunes to stave off the cold.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Bing Crosby and Doris Day’s playful version of this wintertime classic is a particularly persuasive way to district your honey from leaving the toasty bed.

I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
Another classic, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Dean Martin have all marveled about using love to weather a storm.

Time of the Season by The Zombies
The Zombies don’t actually specify what the season is, so why not winter? Sounds like a good time for loving.

Wintertime Love by The Doors
In a love song you can waltz to, a surprisingly tender Jim Morrison croons, “winter’s so cold this year, and you are warm”- how sweetly understated.

Warm Love by Van Morrison
While not necessarily set in the winter, this melodic ditty warms your heart with its sweet lyrics and cheerful wind section.

A Splendid Snack: Five Great Cupcakes

The cupcake trend has swept the country, with charming little bakeries opening up from coast to coast serving the bite-sized cakes with decadent frosting. If you want to make cupcakes at home, here are five great ideas for recipes that will go beyond the traditional chocolate and vanilla:

-          Salted caramel is a popular flavor among more mature eaters – the tang of the salt mixes perfectly with the sweetness of the caramel. For the body of the cupcake, use a dark chocolate flavor to add complexity, then add icing made with salt and caramel. Top with a few large grains of sea salt.

-          Red velvet cupcakes are popular because of their dramatic coloration and rich, satisfying flavor. A true red velvet cake uses vinegar and buttermilk to release the red coloration in cocoa, but it’s fine to use food coloring as well. Top with a white buttercream icing.

-          Lemon cake is a great choice for cupcakes, as the intensity of the tart flavor works well in a small serving. Use fresh lemon zest in your batter and top with a lemony icing, then crush lemon drop candies or other sour confections in a food processor and sprinkle lightly on top.

-          Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are a great way to make a dense, satisfying dessert. The peanut butter in the batter makes the cupcakes a little heavier than normal, and topping them with a whipped peanut butter icing adds a different texture.

-          Another popular way to combine salty and sweet flavors is by making maple bacon cupcakes. Using maple sugar in the batter and icing adds an earthy sweetness, and topping the iced cupcake with candied bacon adds crunch, salt and fat.

Rice in the Pan: Five Great Risottos

Risotto can be a daunting dish to make – the Italian rice dish is notoriously temperamental, and a ruined risotto can be pretty unappetizing! The most important element to cooking a good one is attention. The chef needs to stand over the pan, stirring the rice constantly while adding hot stock so the grains don’t stick together. Once you’ve mastered that, here are some ideas for creating great variations on the dish.

-        Mushrooms make an exceptional pairing for risotto. Their earthy flavor permeates the rice, adding worlds of dimension. Try using chanterelle mushrooms coupled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

-        Lemon flavors are also great for risottos. Pair fresh-squeezed lemon juice with steamed asparagus for a light, refreshing dish that will have people raving.

-        In the autumn, turning to that season’s produce can be a great way to switch up your cooking. One very common pairing for risottos is butternut squash. The subtle, comfortable flavor of the vegetable makes a great base for a risotto.

-        Seafood risotto is a very popular preparation. Use clams, mussels, scallops, and shrimp to add a variety of tastes to the preparation, and season with saffron.

-        For a unique breakfast dish, prepare a traditional risotto and stir in cooked, crumbled bacon and a little sharp cheese. Top with a fried egg and enjoy!

Making Pictures: Great Photography Websites

In the age of digital photography, there are advantages and disadvantages to the steady stream of images being shared with the world. Help your photos stand out from the crowd and find quality work by others with these photography websites.

Flickr: The old reliable of online photography sites, Flickr offers great organization, simple editing tools, and a streamlined design. Look for photo pools organized by theme, subject matter, and geographical location.

Polanoid: Polanoid’s content is made up entirely of scanned instant photographs. Due to the difficulty of obtaining instant film and cameras, contributors tend to be more serious about their art than the typical digital photographer.

Strobist: This popular blog is all about lighting in photography, specifically the use of off-camera flash. The tutorials are a must for anyone starting out behind the camera, and the blog is a great resource for keeping up on new techniques and photographers.

Instagr.am: Instagr.am automatically crops your photos into a Polaroid-like square for a vintage look; then you can apply interesting filters and easily share them on social media. Instagram is also available as an app for iPhone and Android.

Picasa: With a robust set of editing tools, Picasa is one of the best places to store your photos on the web. You can keep your albums private or share them with the world, and storage space is unlimited for images and videos under a certain size.

Best New Fall TV: Comedies

Why not ease the transition from long summer days to cooler weather and shorter daylight hours with some good laughs? This season, settle down on your couch and get ready to crack-up at the fall’s funniest TV shows. Here are three exciting newcomers to the comedy airwaves:

Suburgatory, Wednesdays, ABC, 8:30 p.m.
This hilarious new show revolves around the humor and hell of everyday suburban life. A single father, played by Jeremy Sisto, moves his teenage daughter (Jane Levy) out of the city when she appears to be going down the wrong path. The show, packed with an all-star cast of comedians that includes Cheryl Hines and Alan Tudyk, chronicles the father-daughter team’s transition into their new suburban reality. Click here for a preview.

New Girl, Tuesdays, Fox, 9 p.m.
This show features the irresistibly quirky actress Zooey Deschanel playing an equally quirky leading lady. Heartbroken after being dumped by her boyfriend, she moves into a house with three male roommates who make a project of getting her back on her feet following the break-up. Hilarity ensues. Click here to see a preview.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter, Wednesdays, Fox, 9 p.m.
This comedy series chronicles the lives of two single-mom best friends as they raise teenage daughters who have turned out to be the kind of girls they once loathed (and secretly wished to be) in high-school – over-privileged, stylish, ultra-popular, and uber-cool. The mothers, played by Jaimie Pressley and Kate Finneran, want their daughters to change their ‘mean-girl’ ways – and the conflicts that arise will have you laughing all season long. Click here to watch a preview.

These are just some highlights of the many funny shows that are worth checking out this fall. Click here for more information about the season’s line-up of television comedies. What better way to greet the autumn than with good cheer and genuine laugher?

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