Living in a multicultural society, New Year’s celebration doesn’t have to stop on January 1^st. We also get to countdown the Chinese New Year’s on February 10^th, 2013.

2013 is the Year of the Snake. According to the Chinese calendar, February 9^th is New Year’s Eve, which marks the last day of the Year of the Dragon.  As we approach this cultural New Year, it’s tradition to clean your home and make it beautiful so that the upcoming year attracts all the positive energy you desire.

Is cooking on your New Year’s resolution list? Whether it’s to start learning how to preparing healthy meals or turn your amateur skills into something that could be presented on the new show “The Taste.” Or baking might be on the list of areas to explore? Regardless, the kitchen is a place to spend more time for 2013. Here are the Top Five Kitchen Gadget Trends for this year. The goal is to make your kitchen space more fun and inspiring.

At CES 2013, Haier showed off its concept product, the transparent washing machine.  Is this a sign of our future? Or is this an appliance design that you don’t want to see in your laundry room?

It's about integration. That was the core of the discussion I had with Craig Mclennan last night. He's the VP for the consumer division  for Samsung Canada, and while he's only a year into this role he has big plans for the brand.

Who needs a kitchen when you can get a do-it-all fridge for a whopping $41,500? The Italian designers, Meneghini, created a fridge that does everything a kitchen can do, except for washing dishes. What? No dishwasher? Then that’s no deal for me.

It’s always important to appreciate the little things in life that make you happy. A group of scientist from the University of Tokyo believes that opening your refrigerator to grab something to eat or drink is a simple task that can make you smile without even thinking about it. Which is why they took it a step further by inventing the Happiness Counter device that is attached to your refrigerator to encourage smiling as well as maintaining a positive mind frame. Essentially, when you are heading to the refrigerator to grab a beer, if you are not smiling, the door will not open. The happiness counter will encourage you too smile (even if it’s a fake smile) before the door can be opened.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend! To my fellow Canadians, it’s the time of year to over-indulge with turkey, stuffing, mash potatoes, and pumpkin pie. Fall is the best season, right? Are you looking to add more variation to Thanksgiving dinner? How about a Turkey wrapped with cheesecloth, or sweet potatoes with marshmallows, or pooovers, and pecan pie? Sounds mouth watery, right? If so, I’ve gathered lots of fun recipes to test out this weekend. Have a wonderful celebration. 

If you thought that celebrity cooking apps and how to videos weren’t “techie” enough, then you’ll definitely be intrigued by the concept of an augmented reality kitchen to learn how to cook.

On my drive back from Kelowna, I stopped in Chilliwack to pick up a bag of fresh corn.  I love eating corn on the cob in the summertime, especially during a BBQ.

The good thing about corn is that it makes a perfect snack at home or in the office. How can you make it so that it’s fast and easy. All you need is your microwave. And it won’t sabotage the taste. Trust.

I pronounced to the world via the Tech Blog my venture into this weekend's Tough Mudder in Barrie, ON, thanks to encouragement from Samsung Canada and Future Shop. With just three days to go, and a couple more workouts to squeeze in before taking on the 10+ mile obstacle course, I'm pumped.

If you are like me, you have a sweet tooth and act like a cookie monster when you see desserts. Who doesn’t love home baked cookies, cakes, and sweets? Seriously, who doesn’t?

Many of you are avid bakers, while others are just beginning to learn the art of baking. The beauty of our mobile phones is that there are many great apps to give us new ideas, tips, and recipes when it comes to desserts. Check out these drooling apps to satisfy your baking desires.

 “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” a song famously preformed by the late Marilyn Monroe. For many ladies, we agree with Monroe’s sentiments. Would you believe that diamonds could be your laundry’s best friend? According to a recent UK study, washing your clothes with diamonds can make your laundry load cleaner and more ecofriendly. Bling Bling!

Before letting your jaw drop to the ground with disbelief on who would actually buy diamonds to wash clothes – hear me out.

Happy Canada Day Long Weekend! If you are hosting a party or a small gathering, you'll need to plan ahead and get yourself a kick-ass vacuum to get the post-party clean-up done with ease and grace.  

I treasure my dishwasher because frankly I don't like to wash dishes. I believe it's important to maintain a healthy relationship with this amazing appliance by treating it with respect and love. Here are five tips to make keep your dishwasher running at its optimal best.