HATE IT! T is for Tacky

I think this product is now #1 atop the chart of silly Prince William-Kate Middleton wedding keepsakes.

Tea bags! Is there any limit to what people will buy?

RATE IT! Natalie Portman Unleashed!

Ah, an SNL digital short oldie but goodie! In honour of Natalie Portman's Oscar® nomination tonight for 'Black Swan', here's a look at Hollywood's golden girl unplugged - courtesy of Saturday Night Live!


#%!$@(^#%! Indeed!

RATE IT! London Loves

Pedlars does it again! 


A gorgeous London print with all the areas squeezed into a bouncy heart. 


London loves! I LOVE!

RATE IT! Nifty Wedding Souvenir

The wedding of the year hasn't happened yet and already the souvenir sellers are in overdrive.


Most keepsakes commemorating the nuptials of Prince William & Kate Middleton are tacky, and embarrassing but this one takes the cake for being subtle and quite lovely.


It's a tea towel marking the April 29 festivities. Just when you were ready to wash your hands of all the hoopla, this sweet little towel comes calling. The retro tree-carved initials of W & K complete this beautiful item.


And did you catch the 'I do' in the 'In London' banner? Genius. 

RATE IT! Green Hot Chocolate

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, and although I'm not Irish, or known to celebrate the occasion, I do admire the dedication of those who are/do. 


In this spirit, I bring to you something special and green for the festivities. Yes, Snoopy is back with a unique concoction sure to make you smile. It's green hot chocolate. Seriously! By adding water or milk, the cocoa switches hues to a greenish, celebratory tint. 


Not sure how this brew tastes. You might be smiling *before* you down it... how you feel afterwards, is anybody's guess! Still cute though! 

RATE IT! Adele - 21

Music must-buy of the week!


Adele's latest effort, 21 is out TODAY in North America. Our British friends have had this gorgeous album for a month or so already, lucky ducks! All the clips I heard prior to the release on this side of the pond were absolutely delicious. Beautiful and moving... can't wait to chill and listen to the entire thing!

RATE IT! Meme

I love nothing better than a sweet, new music find. Watching my guilty pleasure, 'Gossip Girl' a few weeks back, a gorgeous little tune played in the background of one of the scenes, and I just couldn't rest until I discovered who and what it was. Turns out, it's a lovely little gem called 'Beat of My Own Song' by a group called Meme. I've never heard of them before... and it appears that I'm not alone!


Searching the web, I could find very little on this pop group. Eventually my digging paid off. I was able to gleam that Meme is a duo: Danny Burke and Lizzie Brown. They hail from Minnesota, and the aforementioned tune was featured in - of all things - an episode of 'Jersey Shore' before it ever graced the soundtrack of 'Gossip Girl.' But please... don't let the Snooki connection turn you off! Meme are haunting, and so memorable. A little bit like Frou Frou, and a long-lost favourite -- Mono (yes, the brilliant creators of 'Formica Blues' - now, where are *they* now?). To put it quite simply, I loved Meme on first listen. 


iTunes offers their complete self-titled album, and I urge you to check it out. It's beautiful, and 'Beat of My Own Song' makes me feel happy, like everything is going to be alright. Always a bonus! 

RATE IT! You've Got Mail

It's time to push the envelope!


Okay, that was bad.... but can you blame me? Check this baby out... a cute letter pillow complete with smiley face, and stamp detail. It's a shame that the real peeps who actually deliver the mail aren't as cheery. 

RATE IT! Sticky Maple

Want some Canadian flavour? Check out these maple themed toothpicks. 

Ah, the tin features a beaver wearing a Canadian maple leaf jersey! 

Cute, yes... but the Canuck that I am must say that we as a nation aren't big toothpicking people. This product is not a Canadian favourite. I'd like to think we'd much rather brush our teeth than dig at them. Ack!


Still... the idea is cute. Not sure about maple being 'smoky' as the blurb on Fred Flare purports. Maple syrup is sweet, silly!

RATE IT! The Best Dance Moves...Ever

Why spend hours watching those annoying dance programs on TV when you can pick up a few tricks in a cheap, and cheerful way?

Get your groove on with 'The Best Dance Moves in the World...Ever,' a delightfully, fun book with easy-to-follow diagrams. 


Channel John Travolta with the Hustle, or Thriller-era Michael Jackson. Speaking of the King of Pop, check out the Thriller zombie dance! (shown at right). The diagrams even feature a MJ-lookalike complete with red outfit, white socks and black loafers -- straight out of the music video! Such details make this book a winner. 


For less than $20, you can learn some moves, and have a giggle at the artwork - a bargain!

RATE IT! Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Chocolate Holiday, everyone! Perhaps I'm the only female who thinks with my stomach on Valentine's Day, but I'd much rather receive some chocolate, or cookies than over-priced red roses - any day! That being said, if there's no chocolate, or cookies greeting me when I wake up, that's okay too. Hardly the end of the world. 


Valentine's Day is one of those tricky celebrations... you're never quite sure if people love it, or hate it. If you're single, it can feel like one of the most lonely days of the year. If you're partnered up, it can be a mixed bag as well. To avoid the roller coaster of emotions that February 14 can bring, I've always marked the occasion with cards, and chocolate for my parents, and sister as well as my significant other (depending upon whether I had one by the time Valentine's Day rolled around)... it made the date not so much about smug couples, expensive flowers and candle-lit dinners, but more about appreciating those we love regardless of status. So whether or not you have a Valentine in the traditional sense, be sure to tell the 'other' people in your life how much you love and appreciate them. If everyone took the time in this manner, Valentine's Day probably wouldn't be given such a bad rap. 


Anyway... as I step off my soapbox, I want to point you in the direction of my new Valentine's/love themed article for Best Health Magazine's website. Turns out, we are all programmed to fall head over heels in love... and for once it's not Cupid's fault! Read on through this link and see who gets the blame this time! Enjoy! 

RATE IT! Hello!

Ah, sorry to crush your hopes if you were landing here for a gawk at Lionel Ritchie. No, I'm offering up a much better song called "Hello". It's the Martin Solveig & Dragonette tune...all electronic, poppy glory! It's been wedged in my head for days now and I've decided to share the happy vibe with others in order to make room for the next addictive tune. 


Plus, it's Friday so it's the optimum time for some silly. 


The video is a bit odd, but it matches the cover of the single. Anyone for tennis?

RATE IT! Angry Bird Plush

It's time to turn your game crush into a reality!

Angry Birds, the smart phone app that conquered the world, is now available in 3D - sorta!

Plush birdies... five different varieties for your shopping pleasure! Just don't tick them off, okay?

RATE IT! Mad Over Bieber

You know that you're a pop culture staple when you get the 'Mad Magazine' treatment.


Teen dream, Justin Bieber meets 'Mad' stalwart, Alfred E. Neuman. 


Nice work! And not a hair out of place!

RATE IT! Anti-Theft Lunch Bags

No need to double take... that's not real mold growing on that lunchable. 

Anti-Theft Lunch Bags have made a reappearance! My first blog post about these unique food protectors was over two years ago, but Perpetual Kid are peddling them once again.

I guess the need never really goes away....especially when you work in an office with light-fingered (and hungry) co-workers!

RATE IT! Etch A Sketch Loves iPhone

Well, it was bound to happen... people SWOONED over the Etch a Sketch iPad cover with such overwhelming geeky love, that there's now a teeny iPhone-sized version. 


Cute, yes?


Available for $25 bucks at Think Geek. Truly!

RATE IT! Who Do You Think You Are

It's back! 


To warm our hearts while it's bitterly cold outside, NBC has brought back a new season of the celeb-genealogy series, "Who Do You Think You Are" ~ debuting tonight at 8pm ET.


What's better than some emotional family tree climbing to keep us all warm inside?


This season's featured stars include Gwyneth Paltrow, recent SAG award winner, Steve Buscemi, Ugly Betty star Vanessa Williams, and Nicole Ritchie's dad, Lionel. They've also repurposed the WDYTYA UK ep that featured Sex & the City's Kim Cattrall. Just like in season one, the stars will go on a journey to find out who's lurking in their family background. Can't wait! 


As a genealogist myself, and a fan of the UK series, I relish the opportunity to peek into the lives of these famous folk. Often the stories are quite emotional, and surprising... and funny enough, it's when they discover ordinary folk - not famous ancestors - that the stories seem all the more amazing. A definite must-watch!

RATE IT! The Stars are Aligned

...at least on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue! And this time it's young Tinseltown decked out in 1930's inspired finery. Oh, and old fart, Robert Duvall. Bet Jack Nicholson is jealous that Robert nabbed this gig instead of him!


Check out Ryan Reynolds, James Franco, Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jesse Eisenberg, Mila Kunis, Joseph Gorden Levitt, Andrew Garfield... and well, a bunch of others -- I'm too exhausted from all this star power to list every single one. This special gatefold cover opens up to reveal this year's in-crowd. 

It's always interesting to see who does and doesn't make the cut for these special Oscar-timed issues. No Natalie Portman? Hmm.

RATE IT! A Real Blizzard to Tackle

It's been days now... days of weather experts hyping up the mother of all snowstorms headed our way. Like many anxious Torontonians, I rushed to the shops yesterday to stock up on food so I didn't have to venture out today into the worst blizzard since '99. You know that crazy time when the mayor called the army in to help!


Waking up today, sure there's snow... maybe 10cm - max. That's not a blizzard, that's a joke! Many of the schools are closed, and people fearful of getting stranded stayed home for work, so there's probably a slew of kids and adults itching for a fun challenge. I say, ignore this faux blizzard silliness and head to Dairy Queen for the REAL deal!


February's Blizzard treat of the month has been unleashed and it's a wicked storm of tasty chocolate joy! Yes, it's THE best blizz on the block - the Midnight Truffle Blizzard. Your eyes aren't deceiving you - yes, we have met before... this Blizzard has appeared time and time again and unlike its namesake that associates itself with shovels, road salt, and snowbanks up to our eyeballs, this Blizzard wants to be your friend. 


Oh, yes. A friend like the Midnight Truffle Blizzard is always welcome! And best of all, no back-breaking shoveling required!

RATE IT! Kiera By Tom Ford

Yowza! Retro-cool fashion stylings courtesy of Tom Ford! 


Actress Kiera Knightly is beautifully showcased on the March cover of UK Elle. 


Tom Ford, you've outdone yourself once again. Keira's gorgeous, albeit very skinny. Please eat something, love!

RATE IT! My First Dictionary - The Book

The wacky My First Dictionary blog has been a personal favourite for some time. Obviously I'm not alone in my addiction to this quirky site because a book featuring some of its most hilarious words & definitions comes out today.


My First Dictionary: Corrupting Young Minds One Word at a Time by Ross Horsley also boasts a whole slew of new definitions guaranteed for laugh-out-loud silliness. The key to the hilarity is how the twisted definitions match with the sweet, old school children's book illustrations. You'll never want to flip through a regular dictionary ever again!