The importance of a DJ is really palpable at a party–a DJ can make it the party of your life or a DJ can waste an extremely valuable Friday or Saturday night. For those of you who want to share your passion for music as a DJ, I have some good news.

The CDJ

Professional DJ’s come with ‘one mic and two turntables’. That may have been true in the past but with the advent of high quality, highly portable music players, I’ve seen many DJ’s use their laptops instead of old fashioned vinyl. The common complaint against using your Mac is that it takes all the skill out of actually DJing which requires the DJ to listen to the tempo and mix songs on the fly which can be extremely difficult. Personally, I feel like this criticism is groundless just because, as an audience member, I don’t really notice the difference. If the songs are good and the music sounds great, I really don’t care if the DJ is manually flipping vinyls or if he prepared the list on his Mac the night before.

The CDJ is a technology that’s somewhere in between the traditional turntable and a Mac. It takes CDs, MP3 files and USBs and allows you to mix and control the music as you would a vinyl or an mp3 on a Mac. The benefits of a CDJ are that it’s much more portable, it accepts CDs, MP3s and USBs (which is way more convenient than purchasing vinyls), you can control every aspect of the music you’re playing and you can have a bit more pride as a DJ rather than just an iTunes Playlist Master. The controls are at your fingertips as opposed to on a computer screen which makes the experience a bit more tangible and responsive to your touch.

You can search CDJ on youtube and you can see this thing in action. If you’re a DJ you should definitely have a go at this new technology. The only obvious drawback is the price. As with any new technology, it’s extremely pricey. It can cost you anywhere between £100-1000. One of the most popular models on the cheaper end of the scale is the Gemini DJ CD Player, or the Gemini CDJ 600. This model is a bit over £250 and comes with more features than you’d need.

Did you know?

DJ originally stood for disco jockey, not disc (or disk) jockey. The first DJ played in San Jose, California in 1909 at 16 years of age. His name was Ray Newby.

-Miljean

The most exciting way to experience nature is to go camping. Get a little tent and a sleeping bag and head out there.  Make sure that the tent you take is waterproof. Set it up properly so that it can withstand a good rain shower. One of the most important items to bring will be a sleeping bag. Camping is no fun when you are freezing. Trust me, I have been so cold while camping once that I was in a bad mood the entire weekend and I couldn’t even enjoy the loveliness of nature. Now I have the vango sleeping bag, and my camping trips have been amazing. Everyone is in a good mood, even when it rains.

We also have proper protection for the rain. Mountain equipment jackets are engineered for the mountains and they certainly do a great job in the Lake District. There are beautiful hikes in the Lake District and you are able to really walk in nature and avoid the herds of people in the camping areas. Trekking poles are necessary for a successful jaunt in nature–they keep you upright and protect your knees. Generally, when people are dry and warm, they enjoy their hike and the weekend is successful. We return to our favourite spots at least once or twice a year.

Did you know…?

Winderemere in the Lake District is England’s biggest natural lake which is 10.56 miles long, 1 mile wide and about 220 feet deep.  You don’t have to go to the ocean to go on a cruise. There are boats on the lake that can take you around.

-maricki

Admittedly lace can be a hard trend to pull off. I saw a girl at a music festival the other week wearing a lace dress with lace tights and a lace cover up. It was absolute lace overkill.
So learn from her unfortunate sartorial mistake and don’t overdo it. Looking good in lace can be done; a touch of lace on the bodice of a dress, or layered as a little cover up, or snaking up your legs in a pair of tights all look great, but just not at the same time.

Lace is at once a very luxurious detail (think upper class Victorian women in period dramas) and also very sexy (think elbow length lace gloves)
A little peek of skin through a flash of lace can be a very sultry yet simple look.
Also if that hasn’t persuaded you to rock a little lace dress then look had the designers who have been inspired by lace.

Here is the gorgeous Christopher Kane Autumn Winter 2010/2011 collection which mixed the regal with the rock and roll as he infused lace with leather.

Valentino also used lace in his luxurious collection to go along side other feminine materials of feathers and faux fur.

Finally these stunning Christian Louboutin lace peep toe heels are the perfect way to indulge in the lace trend. Shoes do not get more beautiful than these.

Did you know…?
For this year’s Paris Fashion Week, Christian Louboutin has created something special: He designed a whole set of shoes for no one less than…Barbie! The whole make-over includes knee-high fringed boots and three miniature pairs of his signature red-soled shoes. All this comes for a price tag of £100.

- Guest Blogger Beth Ruby Lambert from Amore Fashion Blog

If you’re buying or selling audio products, check out NonameHifi . The site has listings of quality new and used electronic and audio equipment and components at highly competitive prices.

Browse through a wide range of traditional and classic toys at ToyDay Toyshop LTD. You’ll discover quality toys you thought had gone forever as well as the timeless classics, wooden and educational toys. If you have a kid or are just a kid at heart, ToyDay Toyshop will fulfil your needs.

At Electric T-Shirts you can find a great selection of official band t-shirts and merchandise. From punk to indie music or heavy metal, you will find your star.

At Celebrity Fragrances get designer and celebrity perfumes, aftershaves and fragrances, gift sets & budget fragrances for men and women.

Are you looking for this unique piece of jewellery? Jurassic Jewellery creates amazing pieces with unique handmade meteorite and fossil elements. Bring the universe to you.

In this mass produced, consumer driven economy we live in, it’s often hard to find original and uniquely designed products at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for designer clothes, jewellery, home décor and more check out Velvet Boutique. Velvet Boutique offers the latest products from independent Scottish designers and you’ll be sure to find treasure at this online store.

Have a cold? How about a hangover? Can’t sleep? Can’t get rid of that headache? At Gaia’s Garden you’ll find the latest in natural remedies to cure common ailments in the healthiest way possible. Gaia’s Garden also offers a variety of products from new age items to  incense, jewellery to artwork and more, all focused on Mother Earth and perfect for gift giving.

Butterflies and Dragons offers a wide variety of children’s toys and gifts. If you’re shopping for a child online, check out Butterflies and Dragons and you’ll be sure to find what you need. Boys and girls of all ages would be delighted with the wide range of products Butterflies and Dragons has to offer.

Hardcore gamers, listen up! Choice Games has games for almost all game consoles—new, old, and portable or not—they have everything a gamer needs. Looking for retro games? They’ve got what you’re looking for at reasonable prices. They also stock games, accessories and current consoles, including the Wii, XBOX 360 and the Playstation 3.

Down the Garden is your one-stop shop for outdoor activities. If you or someone you know is interested in gardening, cooking, BBQ, fishing, golf, animals or anything that has to do with the outdoors, Down the Garden is a great resource for gift giving. Check out Down the Garden and then get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Looking to update your home with new furniture and interior fittings? Then look no further. Martin has everything you need in the way of fittings for every place in your home—doors, cabinets, curtains, mouldings—you name it. Martin offers stylish and modern solutions at extremely reasonable prices.

Be confident and sexy. Amplusfigura offers a great range of excellently priced plus sized lingerie. Brands include Anita, Aviana, Charnos, Plie, Panache, Royce and Vanity Fair.

Are you looking for a crazy new T-shirt? Crazy Dog Tshirts offers you the best funny t-shirts, custom shirts and vintage t-shirts. You’ll have to see to believe!

Customize promotional products or gifts at Argon. If you own a business, Argon offers promotional products at low prices. Promote your business with products that people will actually keep and remember. Argon offers promotional mugs, pens, umbrellas, mouse mats, key rings, folders and much more.

Looking for spare parts for your vacuum, cooker or another electrical appliance? They can be extraordinarily hard to find and even more expensive to replace. At FindYourSpares, you can stop looking and start putting your electrical appliance back together. Instead of replacing your appliances completely, replace lost or broken parts and you’ll save yourself a ton of money.

Have a little princess in your life? She’ll love the princess dresses and accessories at BlushFashions. Their wide range of beautiful fairy, Disney, princess and ballerina dresses are priced well and will bring endless amounts of joy to your little one.

At Lisa’s Handmade Jewellery you will find a wide selection of beautiful handcrafted jewellery created using only the finest beads and materials. From exotic glass beads, semi-precious stones, fresh water pearls, to Swarovski crystals, no two pieces will be the same! Each piece, therefore, is unique and can be personalised to suit your requirements.

And last but not least, another great website to visit is Carolee Crafts. There you will find unique gifts and cards for every occasion. If you have an idea they can make a bespoke gift or card for you and personalise it as a special keepsake for that special event–from new baby, christenings, birthday, engagement to bridal accessories and much more.

Many thanks to all our contributors.
For more pearls from the web, be sure not to miss our next edition!

-Miljean

Spring is fast approaching, as is British Summer Time. British Summer Time begins Sunday, 28 March 2010 and soon we’ll be enjoying loads more sunlight and warmer weather. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been cooped up a bit too long and sadly I’ve packed on a few pounds over the long winter. Spring is that special buffer season where I can shed all my winter weight in preparation for summertime. I’ve considered my exercise options–I really am not much of a jogger–it’s really just a bit too intense for me. Hiking, on the other hand, offers the workout that I need along with the opportunity of enjoying the outdoors. No gym in the world is as refreshing and renewing as nature. If the weather is right, nothing can really beat the fresh air, openness and views of hiking outdoors.

Workout with Friends

There is a drawback to hiking and that is that it’s not very safe to go hiking in the wilderness solo. You should definitely have a companion on hikes and because of that often times hiking needs to be planned. On the flip-side, hiking is one of those rare exercise routines that fosters bonding and conversation. Yeah, you can go to the gym with friends or jog with friends, but you obviously can’t comfortably carry on a conversation. Often times, I find that my best companion on workouts is my iPod. Hiking allows us a rare opportunity to workout our bodies as well as our social skills amidst the revitalizing backdrop of nature.To me, that has much more value than a gym membership.

Hiking Essentials: Walking sticks, Jackets and Shoes

If you’re convinced that hiking is something you’d like to try this spring season, make sure you’re properly suited for the workout. Like any other kind of physical activity, hiking has a few essential pieces of equipment that can completely enhance your workout routine. Depending on where you’re planning on hiking, you should consider buying a walking pole. If you’re going to be hiking relatively steep terrain, a walking stick can totally revolutionize your hike. Even a gradual climb can seem like a totally different experience with a walking stick. Walking sticks don’t take away from the workout either, it just offers you more balance and comfort during your hike. A few things to look for when purchasing a walking stick are durability and lightness. I would suggest the Leki Carbonlite Pole if you’re looking to purchase one because it offers both crucial features at a reasonable price. Made from high modular carbon, the Leki Carbonlite Pole is extremely light and strong and comes with a safety wrist strap which can be more useful than you think. It also comes with Antishock technology which reduces impact on joints, ligaments and muscles, making hiking a sustainably low-impact exercise routine that is perfect for all ages.

Working out at higher altitudes and possibly in the shade means that you’ll stay pretty cool. It may be hot at home, but when you get to the mountain it can be easy to underestimate how cold it’ll be during you’re hike. Hiking jackets are made from fabric that is specially formulated to keep you cool while protecting you from the elements. Hiking jackets are typically made of specialized polyester because it’s lightweight, allows for ventilation and it can block you from wind, and to a certain extent, rain. If you’re going hiking, consider something like a Berghaus Gtx Jacket. Berghaus makes exceptionally crafted hiking jackets that are stylish as well, which is pretty hard to find. It has 2-layer Gore-Tex–that means the jacket is lightweight, well ventilated, waterproof and is guaranteed to protect you from wind and rain.

Lastly, and most importantly, you need to make sure you are wearing the right footwear. I made the mistake of no wearing proper hiking shoes and I injured myself pretty badly on what should have been a mild hike up a hill. You’ve seen all those clunky, unattractive hiking boots before with laces that go on to no end. As hiking is becoming more and more popular, a new trend in hiking boots has emerged–velcro hiking walking shoes. Hiking shoes are all about comfort and ease, and really what’s more comfortable and easy than velcro shoes? They’ve typically been for children in the past, but now they’ve been redesigned for adults looking to simplify their workouts by quickly slipping in and out of their workout shoes. It’s the simplest and easiest solution to buying practical hiking shoes without the hassle of having to lace up. An added benefit is that your shoes never come untied while making your way around the mountain.

Did you know?

Hiking exposes you to natural light which increases the level of the hormone serotonin in the brain. Serotonin regulates sleep patterns, weight and appetite, decreases stress and improves your mood. So be a happier, healthier you this spring, hit the trails and enjoy the outdoors!

-Miljean

1. Buy vision care online – Since 2004, Glasses Direct has been selling prescription glasses online and cutting out the middleman. Back in 2004, the average cost of a pair of glasses bought at big high street chains was £148.85. Now you can get quality spectacles, custom made to your precise prescription for just £24. And for those of us who use contact lenses, ordering a pair online makes great savings.

2. Buy hearing aids online – Our very own Jamie Murray Wells launched his new start-up venture this month designed to save the British public even more money. Jamie’s new venture Hearing Direct is offering the public hearing aids at affordable prices, which can be bought via the Internet in the comfort of your own home. The average spend in the UK for a hearing aid is £1000.00, while Hearing Direct prices starts much lower.

3. Buy pharmacy products online – There are a number of legitimate online chemists who supply cheaper products online and deliver the products to your door within 24 hours. Similar to the way in which Glasses Direct operates, once you don’t have expensive high street shops to rent you can pass on the savings to the customer.

4. Purchase private health care online – For those who can afford it, private health care is an alternative to using the NHS. Private health care isn’t cheap, but some of the health care providers will offer you some type of discount if you purchase a policy online. In some cases even if you phoned in to complete the purchase, you can still claim an online discount. In any event, it never hurts to ask.

5. Keep online tabs on your health – Living a healthy life style can help you avoid certain medial conditions from flaring up. It’s true that some medial conditions are harder to avoid than others, such as deteriorating eyesight or hearing, however others are avoidable. There are a number of online resources which could help you live a healthy life style such as Qwitter for those who want to stop smoking and Hungry for Science a nutrition blog by Andrew Wadge, Chief Scientist for the Food Standards Agency with information on healthy eating.

There’s never been a better time to look and feel great for less.

Did you know…?

The Italian inventor Leonardo da Vinci was actually accredited with the first ideas for contact lenses in 1508.  But it was more than 300 years later before contact lenses were actually fabricated and worn on the eye. In 1956 a  Czech chemist begins making contact lenses with a soft, water-absorbing plastic.

Guest Blogger:  Rick Duncan of Glasses Direct

The bicycle is usually an easy way to sweat. Apollo bikes are fantastic entry level bikes to start your commute with. Apollo even produces folding bikes which can be taken onto the Tube or buses. Often, people don’t want to cycle to work because they are sweating and then they can’t find a shower to freshen up. Well, check out your offices–usually there will be a shower somewhere in the building.

As we know, our mind is the biggest hurdle to overcome habits. Good luck and have fun changing your perspective.

Did you know…?

Sweat is not an indication of low fitness levels. It is really just a reaction to stress and some bodies react with more sweat than others. Indeed, sweating is very healthy.  It regulates body temperature, it detoxifies your body and it keeps the skin clean and pliant.

- maricki

Tog ratings

You may have heard of tog rating before. It’s a system that measures the thermal resistance of a duvet cover, meaning it measures how warm the item will keep you at night. The higher the rating, the warmer the duvet. In the UK, most duvets rank anywhere as low as 4 to as high as 15. In the summertime, you’d want a duvet with a lower tog rating while in the winter you would definitely need a duvet with a ranking above an 11.  A duvet tog 13.5 would be absolutely perfect for the springtime.

Material & Wash-ability

Duvets come in a variety of different kinds of materials. While an important consideration is obviously the texture and comfortability, one other incredibly necessary thing to think about is how easily that fabric can be washed. One of the greatest benefits and reasons for having a duvet is the fact that it allows us to skimp on having to wash or dry clean our down comforters which can be a particularly daunting task. If the duvets themselves are so luxuriousness and need to be dry cleaned, it defeats the point of even having one. For that reason, if you are choosing a duvet cotton is probably the best bet because it can easily be machine washed with the rest of your laundry.

Size

This may sound obvious, but duvets come in different sizes. You need your duvet to fit your comforters, and although down comforters tend to come in sizes that fit mattresses, sometimes they don’t. Before picking a duvet, make sure you lay your down comforter down and measure it. When buying a duvet, make sure your measurements match up to the duvet you’re purchasing. If you have a down comforter that is sized and packaged for a standard mattress size (for example, if you have a Sealy king size mattress and you’ve purchased a king size down comforter), you can feel safe in purchasing a king size duvet. If you’re not sure, go ahead and make some measurements before heading to the store.

Thread Count

Thread count is a basic numeric way of telling how soft or comfortable a fabric will feel. The higher the number, the better. Thread count is typically a standard that is mostly used with sheets rather than a duvet, but a duvet with a really, really low thread count might feel like sleeping with a potato sack so it’s important to consider thread count when choosing a duvet. And if worse comes to worse, all you really have to do to determine if the thread count is high enough is to just reach out and touch the duvet. You’ll know if it’s something you can sleep with or not.

Did You Know?

The term ‘tog’ is originally an informal word for clothing. It doesn’t just measure thermal resistance in duvets either–a tog rating can be used on almost any kind of fabric. A typical men’s suit, for example, has a tog of one.

-Miljean

Here are my top 5 perfumes for Mother’s day. Or as they are perfect for Spring/Summer as well treat yourself to one of these lovelies:

1. Daisy by Marc Jacobs. This is soon turning out to be a modern classic. Millions are being sold and it has already been reinvented in a variety of colours and limited editions. I was lucky enough to receive this one for Christmas and it is fantastic. It lasts all day and just gives off a lovely and simple floral smell.
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2. Miss Dior Cherie. I was won over as soon as I saw the breathtaking adverts (the television advert was directed by Sophia Coppola and the print adverts were shot by Tim Walker. What a team!) and the perfume itself didn’t disappoint. It will look gorgeous on your dressing table and its girly feminine scent is equally fabulous.

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3. Vera Wang Princess. This really is a no brainer present and best seller. What better way to make your Mum feel like a princess than buying her this stunning perfume. Its fragrance will lead to envious sniffs from other ladies I can promise you.
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4. Chance by Chanel. This is a simple perfume with a clean, fresh and simple smell. So if your Mum is more of a classy lady and wouldn’t want anything too over the top this is the one for her.
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5. Stella by Stella McCartney. This is the first fragrance which Stella McCartney has done but it has been well worth the wait. The top designer has obviously waited to get the best results for her debut perfume and this pretty purple bottle definitely doesn’t disappoint.

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Did you know…?
Virgin Experience Days has an incredible Mother’s Day Special: Get your mom (and you) a “Design Your Own Perfume Session”. It lasts for about two hours and a perfume studio consultant helps you to create your own perfect scent. The best: At the end your mother receives a gift-boxed 20ml perfume bottle!

- Guest Blogger Beth Ruby Lambert from Amore Fashion Blog

Fenn Wright Mason has amazing tops that are designed for work but also for casual wear. Check out their colours this season–beautiful shades of yellow and blue. Fenn Wright Manson can really add some colour to your wardrobe this reason. It feels like wearing a sunflower field and walking under a bright blue sky.

The style this season also presents nicely decorated cuffs and collars. Everything just fits beautifully together. One beautiful summer combination would be the yellow trench coat mixed with a blue top.  You would capture the spirit of summer in your fashion style. 

Be brave and bold and make a statement this season with your style.

Did you know…?

Fenn Wright Manson has a Mother’s Day competition going on and you can win Nature’s Gate Organics Lemongrass & Clary Sage Body Lotion and one year’s free UK postage on all orders from Fenn Wright Manson. Check out their website for more information.

-Maricki