Custom Embroidered Baby Blankets

Here's one of the nicest and most unique ideas I have seen in a long time when it comes to baby gifts - custom embroidered baby blankets and other items. What mom wouldn't be thrilled to have her baby's name skillfully embroidered on her baby's blanket? Prestige-wise, it's right up there, but think of how easy it will be to make sure you have the right items when picking baby up from day care or the babysitter.

You can probably think of a dozen other ways you could use this digital custom embroidery on shirts, bags and other items for every member of the house, friends and even co-workers. There's always a birthday coming up somewhere. Threadsmith.com offers great ideas for gifts, baby items and even self-promotion or advertising for your new business. I love this idea and have put it on my must-have list for future baby showers.

Peanut Product Recall List

The FDA recall of salmonella-tainted peanut butter products has reached into every area now, including some diet and energy bars and other products that you might not suspect.

According to the FDA, the Peanut Corporation processing plant had at least 10 major areas of problems, including a leaking roof, mold and (ughhh!) roaches.

Be safe. Before consuming any peanut product, check for yourself if it is on the FDA product recall list. The FDA has provided a great site where you can search by name, brand, UPC or product description.

To search the FDA recall list, go to this website.

FDA Warns About Risks of Topical Anesthetics

Women having laser hair removal treatments often have the pain lessened through the application of topical anesthetics. A topical anesthetic is a cream, ointment or gel that contains drugs like lidocaine, tetracain, enzocaine and prilocaine. But following the deaths of two women who used topical anesthetics before laser hair removal, the FDA has issued a warning on the use of such skin numbing products.

According to the FDA report, when applied to the skin surface, topical anesthetic can be absorbed into the blood stream and, if used improperly, may cause life-threatening side effects, such as irregular heartbeat, seizures, breathing difficulties, coma, or even death.

The FDA reccomends to patients who are prescribed a topical anesthetic that they:

* use a topical anesthetic that contains the lowest strength, and amount, of medication that will relieve the pain;
* apply the topical anesthetic sparingly and only to the area where pain exists or is expected to occur;
* do not apply the topical anesthetic to broken or irritated skin;
* ask their healthcare professional what side effects are possible and how to lower their chance of having life-threatening side effects from anesthetic drugs; and
* be aware that wrapping or covering the skin treated with topical anesthetics with any type of material or dressing can increase the chance of serious side effects, as can applying heat to the treated area while the medication is still present.

For more information, visit the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2009/NEW01947.html

Looking for Web Hosting?

When shopping for anything, it all comes down to getting a bargain - even in web hosting for your website. The best way to find a good deal and to find out about the reliability of any particular hosting company is to check out reviews and testimonials.

These days you can find any type of web hosting you might be looking for, regardless of your requirements. You can even find green hosting if you are environmentally conscious and want to be kind to the planet. You can find hosting that is completely solar or wind-powered. That's incredible.

But if your budget is the most pressing concern, then you might want to check out the winner of the Best Budget Hosting 2008 award from Web Hosting Geeks. Need a blog host? You can review the best hosting for blogs, forums, Unix, whatever.

This is a great site if you are new to running sites and looking for a hosting service. Here you can get all sorts of information about reliability, down time, customer service and ease of use. Especially if you are new to the net or you aren't sure what you need, checking out the reviews will aid you in making the right selection. Most importantly, you will be sure you aren't paying too much and that you're getting what you pay for. That's the definition of getting a great deal.

The Virtual Mirror

You can only tell so much from a color chart or packaging, and often that makes it difficult to buy cosmetics that are really right for your skin tones. Wouldn't it be nice to see how everything looks before you buy it? Well, EZface has a way to do it that won't involve testers or samples - no mess and no sales pitch either.

The EZface Virtual Mirror kiosk is a whole new way to try on makeup. The customer simply snaps a digital photo of herself and then "tries on" different makeup products by scanning in the product's barcode. Not just products from one manufacturer, but from all your favorite brands like Revlon, Cover Girl and L'Oreal and more.

I would like to see this technology introduced in my local department store, it would make purchasing makeup so much easier and I would be less likely to make really terrible mistakes. You know what I mean. Sometimes what looks good on the store shelf is a disaster when worn.

The technology for the kiosk comes from a partnership with IBM. It even lets the cutomer email a picture of themselves with the new look. Think about the possibilities... you could try out a whole new look, email the picture to your Facebook or Myspace and impress everyone without buying anything...

MagNext - Virtual World Community for Kids

If you're looking for fun, safe and free entertainment for your kids when they are on the net, you are going to quickly fall in love with MagNext Virtual. It's a combination virtual world, social community and games site all rolled into one. And I do mean rolled.

At MagNext you become a magnetic ball that rolls around through the different levels. There you can meet other players, gain experience points and Magz by playing games or shop for new gear and cool paintjobs to express your own personality through your avatar. There's also a showroom and gallery where you can see Magnext kits or the amazing things other kids have built with Magnext.

I created a character and wandered around the virtual world a bit and quickly found myself addicted to the Spheron, a game where you maneuver your racing vehicle to extend your power and maintain speed for as long as possible. Another cool game that will exercise your childrens' minds is iCoaster where the roller coaster tracks run out and you have to quickly choose the right set of rails to keep from falling through.

There are games and activities that will interest the younger child as well as the young teen. Best of all, it's a secure and safe environment for them on the net so you can let them play without worrying.

Try out MagNext yourself, then sign your kids up. They'll love you for it.

Scarves Make A Fashion Comeback

My mother loved scarves in brilliant colors and vibrant patterns, and I have inherited many of her finest. The good news is that scarves are making a comeback on the fashion scene.

A neatly tied scarf in a complementary color can be the finishing touch for any outfit, bring out your eyes or just highlight your face. What a wonderful way to use a brooch, as a way to fasten your scarf in just the right way to your sweater or jacket.

A large scarf works even with your winter coat. A wool coat accented by a bright contrasting colored scarf, worn loosely about the neck gives a standard piece of outerwear a brand new look. Scarves are an inexpensive way to add a little pizzazz.

When looking for scarves, look for colors that complement your coloring, your outfit and are right for the season. Heavier or fuzzy scarves are great for fall and winter, while you may want to look for silk or gauze when it's time to break out the spring wardrobe.