New England Youth Theater Triumphantly Parades to New Location

When the NEYT presented its first performance in March 1999, the show took place in a rented room in a school in Brattleboro, VT. The next year they found a permanent home in a former Chinese restaurant in the Latchis Theater Complex in downtown Brattleboro. Last week they performed the last of their two week run of Oliver!, they bid farewell to the old Chinese restaurant and more than 300 actors, students, kids, parents, and supporters marched a few blocks to a new facility being built just for the NEYT. Founder and artistic director Stephen Stearns addressed the group in the partially constructed theater, and flipped on a giant light switch to symbolize the forthcoming completion of the theater as the gathered fans cheered. Stearns also led the group in singing a few songs including "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "The Impossible Dream."

The new theater will open in January to present productions by other theater groups. The first NEYT production is set to be presented in February.

Secrets for Not Gaining Weight During the Holidays

It's said that calm comes before a storm, but for people wanting to lose weight or get into better shape, the last few weeks of the year are the storm before the calm. The period from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day can be one long binge of parties and family dinners, followed by the obligatory pledges of healthy living including promises to start eating right and join a gym.

Trying to lose weight during the holidays is insanity, most nutrition and fitness gurus would admit, but some are taking a more moderate position: enjoying the holiday cheer but making a point of trying to maintain one's weight during the holidays. For me, traveling to visit family means plenty of downtime in airports, which I take advantage of by walking from terminal to terminal. It doesn't give you the same benefits of running a race or playing raquetball, but walkng at a moderate pace can burn about 120 calories in 20 minutes.

As many trainers and fitness experts agree, the best way to get in shape is to combine aerobic exercise with weight training . Even though you may not be able to make it to the gym during the busy holiday season, you can certainly find the time to do a few sets of strength training with a set of dumbells or a barbell. Weight training builds greater muscle strength and mass, which require more energy to maintain than less-developed muscles. So your newly strengthened body will actually burn more calories even as rest than it did before.

So forget about trying to lose weight during the holidays, or going in the opposite direction and just letting yourself give in to the orgy of overindulgence. Try to maintain your weight and then, come the new year, you can make good on those resolutions to improve your diet, exercise more, and join a gym or fitness program.

(This post sponsored by noexcusesgym.com)

The Harmonica Workout--America's Latest Fitness Craze?

Americans love fitness trends. Not that they love actually getting in shape, but they eagerly try out every new workout plan and diet theme that comes down the road. Willingly accepting the bizarre, they seem to hold the contrarian belief that the more offbeat the plan sounds, the greater the possibility that it works.

One of the latest workouts to come down the crowded road could be called "The Harmonica Workout," as mentioned in an article in the Wall Street Journal. Promoted by the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (yes, this is a real organization), it seeks to show that all the blowing in and out of playing the mouth harp is good for the mouth, throat, and lungs. Who knew?

Terry Rand, a 71-year-old member of the Society and a harmonica evangelist who travels around his hometown of Naples, Florida giving our harmonicas, has been actively promotion the idea that playing the harp can play a role in strengthening the lungs. He and other harmonica society members have been passing out the instruments at senior centers, hospitals, and other gathering places.

If you're really into harmonicas, you can join the organization and even attend their annual four-day convention. In 2007 it will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. No word on if harmonica workouts will be featured in the year's annual convention.

How to Make Your Rooms Look Like a Million, Without Spending a Lot

As someone who's always had a limited budget for making my apartment look good, I long ago learned a simple trick for making my home look classy without spending much money. Instead of shelling out big bucks outfitting a room with a lot of fancy furniture and other items, I go for a straightforward look using inexpensive furnishings that have a high-quality appearance, then add a few choice accessories that add a touch of class and luxury (without paying luxury prices, of course!)

There are many items that can fill the bill and make a room look rich. Wall sconces are a classy way to light walls and hallways, and they come in a range of materials, from bronze and stainless steel to genuine wrought iron, for an old Parisian feel. Wrought iron can also add a distinctive European touch in other accessories--a wall vase draws attention to the walls while allowing you to add a festive floral touch, and shelf brackets and door toppers made of the same material will complete the look and give the room a consistent theme.

If you're unsure of how to use these and other decorative items, pick up a copy of your favorite shelter magazines and scan the photos for a look that you like. Choose a look that will be appropriate for the room you're decorating, your style preference, and your type of furniture. Then go shopping for more reasonably priced versions of the expensive fixtures and accessories you see in those photos.

Making your home look expensive doesn't have to be expensive, if you know how to make smart use of quality decor items.

Is $3 Million Too Much for Vodka?! Nyet, My Friend!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Free Christmas Ecards, Great for Last-Minute Gifts

With Christmas fast approaching, are you wondering how you're going to get your greetings out in time to friends, family, and colleagues? Ecards have become more popular than ever, and they make a great option for greetings during the holidays or anytime. If you're looking for some laugh-out-loud cards to send to your cynical hipster friends and smart-aleck relatives, check out how to get a free Christmas card from Egreetings.com.

These certainly aren't your father's Christmas cards (unless your father is Dave Chappelle or Robin Williams). These are cards that offer a risque, off-color brand of humor that nevertheless will effectively convey your holiday wishes. If you go to this ecards blog you can get a free Christmas card and check out the author's top 10 funny cards list.

What's more, Egreetings customers can get a free 30-day trial to send unlimited ecards. A one-year ecards subscription is only $13.99--a lot cheaper than sending traditional paper cards to everyone on your Christmas list (if you've got a good-sized list of people, the yearly subscription is cheaper than the postage alone). And, of course, ecards are ideal for last-minute Christmas wishes.

Among my favorites in the eGreetings.com Christmas offerings are the Double Dare card (yes, from the movie A Christmas Story) and Personalized Christmas Hits, which parodies those famous (and famously repetitive) K-Tel rock hits collections on late night TV.

And what says "Christmas cheer" better than a card with a farting reindeer?