Design & Decor Blog

It’s like someone was reading my mind! The last time I baked ooey-gooey chewy chocolate chip cookies (here’s the recipe from CanadianLiving.com), I emailed the recipe to my Blackberry and checking the ingredients and directions with my flour-covered fingers was not ideal. This digital recipe reader can hold your entire recipe collection in one easy place and the touch screen is easy to clean with a damp cloth. The font can be enlarged for easier reading and the built-in timers mean your cookies won’t burn when you turn your back. It quickly converts measurements and even offers up ingredient substitutions in a hurry. Does this thing wash the dishes, too? I love its sleek look and impressive number of features. Why didn’t I put this on my Christmas list? Check out more fabulous kitchen gadgets and find more great tech products in Lauren McPhillips’ blog Tech Style.

Visit: mydemy.com for more information.

I have a crush. Currently, I’m daydreaming about the Nook ($259 USD), the electronic book from Barnes & Noble. I haven’t seen it in person and it’s not available in Canada but I’m wondering if it’s worth the trip south of the border. From what I’ve seen and read online, this e-book is sleek and stylish and I love the array of accessories that are available, too! Much like Lauren McPhillips, our Tech Style blogger, I’m a gadget girl and I am continually amazed at how technology is evolving, the products that are hitting the market and how they’re revolutionizing our world.

The Nook features an e-Ink display, which makes the text look more like ink on a printed page than text on a computer screen and since it’s not backlit, it’s apparently easy to read … just like a regular book. The text size is adjustable and of course, going paper-free means being a better friend to the environment. You’ll have access to over a million titles simply by downloading new books you want to read and the 3.5 inch colour touchscreen LCD looks oh-so-cool!

For now, I’ll have to keep drooling over the pictures. Check out some of the stylish accessories available for the Nook:

Jane Street Cover in Chocolate
kate spade new york
$125.00

Signature Rear Cover Tangerine
by Barnes & Noble
$18.95

My friend and colleague Lauren McPhillips is always writing about awesome new tech toys and gadgets in her blog Tech Style. Have you checked it out? Trust me: Whether you’re a true technophile or a Luddite who’s contemplating conversion, you’re bound to find cool new products to drool over on Lauren’s blog so check it out! Anyhow, reading her blog got me thinking about my latest toy – my 2G iPod Touch. I love it. And just as the commercials say, it’s the funnest toy I’ve ever had! It’s sleek and slick and feels so good in my hands. Problem is, it needs to be protected to keep it shiny and scratch-free. I had initially bought a hard plastic case with a protective screen but within a handful of days, the protective screen was so badly scratched, it made my iPod Touch look terrible. And so I searched and searched until I finally found the perfect case. This case, pictured here, from Sena Store, is exactly what I was looking for. It has an ultra-slim design, is made from European Napa leather and has a luxurious velvet lining to protect the face of your iPod. They come in a variety of colours (I love the white!) and the best part is the price – they’re only $29.99! There are lots of cases out there for the iPhone but if you have an iPod Touch, the options are considerably more limited. So I was very excited to find this case. I also love the fact that it’s a pouch meaning that when I throw it into my purse, it’s completely protected, but when I want to use it, I am able to interact with the screen directly as opposed to through a plastic face protector. Part of the beauty and appeal of these Apple products is being able to touch them and this case allows you to do just that!

Sena store offers cases for all your favourite toys – laptops, phones, cameras, MP3 players and more. Check it out!

Available at: Sena Store
Price: $29.99

I’m all about multi-functional these days. I mean, why invest in three things to perform three different tasks when you can rely on one thing to perform three tasks? Yes, I am of the BlackBerry generation – one device for phone, email, music, calendar … I’m hooked! So when I discovered Kodak’s ESP-5 all-in-one printer, I knew I’d love it. It’s sleek and sexy and so easy to use. So what does this wonder printer do? It prints (duh), copies and scans but what I love most is the three-inch LCD screen for viewing and editing. And, it features memory card and USB slots so that you can view, edit and print your materials, even if you don’t have a computer hooked up to it. When did something as practical as a printer get so exciting? It’s both Mac- and PC-compatible and has space for two cartridges; black and a five-colour cartridge. Perfect for your home office as long as you actually work and don’t spend your day playing with your new gadget!

Available at: Staples Business Depot and London Drugs or online at kodak.ca.
Price: $169.99

Psst! We’re going to be giving one of these fab printers away soon on styleathome.com so keep checking back for our contest!

If you really want to stay on top of cool new tech toys, you should definitely check out our Tech Style blog by Style at Home’s senior editor Corinna VanGerwen.