2. Motorola Droid Razr – With a signature razor-thin design, plentiful features, and lightning speed, the Motorola Droid Razr tops the list of best Android smartphones for 2011.

3. HTC Sensation 4G – Featuring a sleek design, 1.2GHz dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera, this is one of the best Android phones yet.

4. Apple iPad 2 – Improvements made to an already excellent product, make the iPad2 a must-have for all the techies on your holiday shopping list. With a now easier-to-use interface, huge app catalog and longer battery life, this is arguably one of the best tablets on the market today.

5. Roku 2 XS - This super-compact Wi-Fi streaming-media box offers dozens of Internet video and audio services, allowing for a truly mobile entertainment experience.

6. Sonos Play: 3 – This device delivers a superior streaming-audio experience that you can control from any iOS device or Android smartphone.

7. MacBook Air – The 11-inch MacBook Air is the quickest, most portable laptop you’ll find. This year’s version is faster than last year’s version, has a backlit keyboard and comes with a high-speed Thunderbolt I/O port.

8. 2011 Nook – From the compact and lightweight design to the responsive high-contrast Pearl e-ink touch screen, the 2011 Nook has made e-reading more enjoyable. It has built-in Wi-Fi, an expansion slot for additional memory and a long battery life of up to two months.

9. The Kodak Playsport – A durable mini camcorder that captures solid HD video. This pocket size camcorder is waterproof and is made for foolproof point-and-shoot use.

1. Trux Map
2. Food Truck Tracker
3. Eat St
4. Roaming Hunger

Now everyone lift your smartphone in the air and repeat after me “I Have the Power”

1. Blissini – Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 5 min
Inactive Prep Time: —
Cook Time: —
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients
· 1 1/2 cups Prosecco, chilled
· 1 1/2 cups orange juice, chilled
· 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice, chilled
· Mint leaves, for garnish

Directions
Combine the Prosecco, orange juice, and pomegranate juice and pour into 4 Champagne glasses. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Source: Foodnetwork.com

2. Sparkling Ginger Cider – non alcoholic

Prep Time: 5 min
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min
Cook Time: —
Level: Easy
Serves: 4

Directions
Sparkling ginger cider is a first rate fall “mocktail.” Mix 1/2 pound peeled, sliced fresh ginger into 32 ounces of apple cider and chill for about an hour. Pour into glasses filled with ice and top with ginger ale and fresh mint. To spike this punch, add brandy and top with hard cider instead of ginger ale.

Source: Foodnetwork.com

3. Bourbon Coolers

Prep Time: 10 min
Inactive Prep Time: —
Cook Time: —
Level: Easy
Serves: 1 serving

Directions
1. Combine 6 ounces each bourbon and fresh orange juice in a large cocktail shaker.
2. Add 5 to 6 tablespoons pure maple syrup and fill with ice. Cover and shake vigorously for 1 minute, then strain into 6 chilled champagne flutes.
3. Top with your favorite dry sparkling white wine and garnish each drink with an orange peel twist.

Source: Foodnetwork.com

4. Pear-Rosemary Cocktails

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients
· 6 to 10 Seckel pears
· 4 cups (32 ounces) vodka
· 1 cup sugar
· 12 sprigs fresh rosemary plus more for garnish
· 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) pear nectar
· 4 cups (32 ounces) sparkling water

Directions
1. Put enough pears into a 48-ounce glass jar to fill. Add vodka. Seal jar, and let stand at room temperature 2 weeks (up to 2 months).
2. Heat sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add rosemary; remove from heat. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard rosemary. Let cool completely. Syrup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 month.
3. Fill 12-ounce glasses halfway with ice. Add 4 tablespoons vodka, 2 tablespoons syrup, and 3 tablespoons pear nectar to each. Top with 1/2 cup sparkling water. Serve garnished with rosemary sprigs.

Source: Marthastewart.com

5. Zinger Martini

Ingredients
· ½ part Bärenjäger honey liqueur
· 2 parts lemon flavored vodka
· Splash of orange juice
· Squeeze of fresh lemon

Directions
Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon.

Source: blog.weddingpaperdivas.com

6. Hot Buttered Rum

Servings: 1 serving
Preparation time: Mixture—10 minutes. Individual drinks take a minute.

Ingredients
1 ounce dark rum
1/2 cup boiling water
1 heaping tablespoon hot buttered rum mixture (recipe follows)
~ cinnamon
~ nutmeg

Hot Buttered Rum Mixture
2 cups brown sugar
2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 cups good-quality vanilla ice cream, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
1. Combine the rum, boiling water and the frozen hot buttered rum mixture in a heat-resistant glass. Stir well.
2. Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon and serve immediately.

Hot Buttered Rum Mixture
1. Place the sugar, butter, ice cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg in your food processor and blitz until smooth. 2. Place the hot buttered rum mixture in a container and freeze. It will not hard freeze, and is easily accessed when preparing the drink.
NOTE: If using all of the mixture immediately, you do not have to freeze it.Double this recipe easily for large parties or for a handy, winter-long supply of hot buttered rums.

Source: Beyondwonderful.com

7. Mocha Coffee

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
2 cups half-and-half
2 cups strong hot coffee*
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
~ whipped cream
~ sprinkled cocoa powder for decoration
~ sprinkled cinnamon for decoration
Use best quality French or Italian roast coffee.

Directions
1. Place the cocoa and ¾ cup of the half-and-half into a small mixing bowl and mix with a fork until well blended. Add more half-and-half if needed to form a smooth paste.
2. Pour the coffee, sugar, and the remaining half-and-half into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan.
3. Add the chocolate paste to the coffee mixture, mix well, and bring to a simmer.
4. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
5. Divide the mocha coffee among two mugs and top each with whipped cream.
6. Dust with chocolate shavings and cinnamon; serve immediately.

Source= Beyondwonderful.com

8. Mexican Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
· 2 cups reduced-fat (2 percent) evaporated milk
· 1/2 cup whole milk
· 1/2 cup chocolate liqueur
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1/4 cup sugar
· 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
· 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder
· 10 cinnamon sticks
· 1 dried red chile
· 2 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
· 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
1. Whisk evaporated milk, whole milk, liqueur, vanilla, sugar, cocoa, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and chili powder in a heavy saucepan.
2. Add 2 of the cinnamon sticks and chile and cook gently over medium-low heat until warm.
3. Add chocolate and cook, whisking until melted. Gently bring to a high simmer; reduce heat and simmer until liquid thickens and reduces slightly, whisking often, 10 minutes.
4. Combine heavy cream with remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and beat until peaks form.
5. Ladle 1/3 cup hot cocoa into each of 8 teacups; top with 1 tablespoon whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZaskRpfOVQ

Hook your old pillow case over a fin of the ceiling fan, hold the end and slide it along the fin. The pillow case traps all the dust and when you’re done you can take it outside, turn it inside out, shake it clean and wash it as usual.

Your ceiling fan(s) will be cleaned in seconds leaving you to focus your time on more important things… TV.

1. Take the Tornado Watch/Warning Seriously:

The National Weather Service doesn’t send out Tornado Watch/Warning alerts as a joke. Take them seriously and use the time during a Tornado Watch to get yourself prepared. For those of you who don’t know the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning, the definitions from the National Weather Service are listed below:

Tornado Watch: Conditions are favorable for the development of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in and close to the watch area. These watches are issued for large areas by the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, and are usually valid for four to six hours.

Tornado Warning: Strong rotation in a thunderstorm is indicated by Doppler radar or a tornado is sighted by skywarn spotters. These warnings are issued on a county by county basis by the local Weather Forecast office in Chicago/Romeoville.

2. Get Protection:

Gather blankets, pillows or even a mattress to cover/protect yourself from falling debris. Goggles and head-gear (bike helmet) can be worn for extra protection.

3. Get Low:

Get to the ground level of your apartment building which could be an underground parking garage, a neighbors first floor apartment or the center of the ground floor hallway. Those of you living in a high-rise apartment may not have the time to get to the ground floor of your apartment building. In that case, you should seek shelter in your apartment closet, bathroom or interior hallway where there are no windows.