Umbrella, ella, ella

You know that really annoying pop song by Rhianna. If you're struggling, re-read the title. Or run over to iTunes. I like to share the misery.

I think she was singing about these babies. It's time to replace that boring old outdoor umbrella with something that has more flourish. Flowers, flamenco ruffles and pinwheels, oh my.

Now your backyard BBQs will be stylish and grand. You'll want to have one each weekend, as long as you can get someone else to grill. And clean up. Let's not forget about that.

WW & Co.

Fruitcake cookies

Here's a favorite recipe of mine that you can make this Labor Day weekend. The recipe is fruitcake cookies and they're perfect for cookouts with the family and friends. Pun intended.

And while everyone makes fun of that terrible holiday gift, these are actually really good. And simple to make, which makes them really, really good.

Ingredients:
1 box of Pillsbury yellow cake mix with pudding
1/2 to 1 cup of oatmeal
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp of vanilla
1 cup of nuts - lots and lots of nuts. I use pecans & walnuts. Nuts go well with fruitcakes.
2 bags of dried mixed fruit - you'll find this in your grocery store at the same place you get the raisins and trail mix.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients & blend well.
Drop rounded dough onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 - 12 minutes (they should just be getting a little brown on the tops)
Cool a least 1 minute before removing from the cookie sheet.
Then sprinkle with powdered sugar, the most important part.

Serve to friends and family and tell each one you were thinking of them while baking the cookies.

Everything is better with bacon - Part 2

I watched Charlotte's Web this morning. You remember, the movie with Dakota Fanning and Julia Roberts as the voice of the spider. It was really touching how they both tried to save the little pig Wilbur from the chopping block.

I cried for the little guy, but honestly ended up hungry after listening to everyone talk about bacon. True story.

So, I'm really thinking about this bacon of the month club. I've worked at places where the Christmas gift was a fruit of the month club. Sure, the thought is very nice and it certainly is a healthy snack. But really, do you look forward to a box of pears or package of delicious, thick sliced, artisinal hickory-smoked bacon strips? Exactly.

And its delivered to your door. Sorry Wilbur.

Bacon of the Month Club

Spazzstick

Sadly, that's actually the name of the product. Not the most appealing name, but it's a clever way to stay awake without the icky coffee breath.

Say you're sitting in a meeting in one of those windowless conference rooms. The boss is droning on and on again about not reaching the quarterly projections. You're falling asleep. Whip out your Spazzstick, apply (don't forget to blot) and stay awake. Voila. No one knows how close you came to lying face down in your own drool.

I thought I'd pass this tip on to all of my friends. But if I see any one of you applying lip balm while I'm talking, you're in so much trouble.

Spazzstick comes in Vanilla Toffee or Cool Mint flavors.

Spazzstick

Stick around

Sick of those boring yellow sticky notes? Me too. For one thing, they always come with work attached. And, on top of that, could you get some personality instead of those neon yellow squares?

When I want to thank people at the office, I buy them note pads. Fun ones that inject a little humor into a dull cubicle world. (Plus, don't even think about baking something as a thank you when everyone's on a diet!) This set of note pads even helps the person with time management and creating priorities.

Now that I think about it, I should have a set custom printed, so everyone knows my priorities. Vacation time - today, retirement - soon, winning lotto numbers - someday...

Whenever Sticky Note Set

Take a seat

Tampa has a tradition every February known as Gasparilla. It's where pirates invade the city and everyone gets drunk in the better neighborhoods of town. Oh yeah, they bus people in to get drunk on the lawns of mansions. Literally. Although, it's the affluent people who parade as the pirates...

Anyway, check out this bar stool from Paul Frank. If any of my friends were to have another of their annual Gasparilla parties (and you know who you are), this stool would be a great accessory.

Although, you better be careful when leaving the barstool. The design is sewn into the seat and might leave an impression on your backside for a few minutes. It will give new meaning to the phrase butt pirate.

Paul Frank

Democratic Ecology

I want to do my part for the environment. Really, I do. I love the idea of renewable energy sources powering our homes, but who wants to take a second mortgage to install solar power on your roof?

Philippe Starck must have been thinking about Snackworthy. He's designed a new mini wind turbine called "Democratic Ecology". The turbine is a polycarbonate rectangle, about 12 feet wide and 18 feet high. The turbine can generate 20 to 60 percent of the energy needed for a home. Best yet, it will sell for $630 when it comes out on the market this fall.

Now the real question is, how windy is it in your backyard? And, what happens when a bird flies into it? Ouch.

Democratic Ecology