5 Fun Ways To Make Your 4th Of July Sparkle!

We hope you are all as excited as we are for one of the best holiday’s of the year…The 4th of July. With fireworks, food, family, friends and fun, honestly, what could be better?! We created a helpful guide to all things 4th of July, from amazing food and drink ideas to the newest apps inspired by Independence Day!

1. BOOZE: Rather than chugging a beer by the pool, take your barbeque or party to the next level with these 4th of July inspired jello shots from Brit+Co. And, for those wine lovers, be sure to check the Pineapple and Berry White Wine Cocktail by She Knows for some more fruity and patriotic drink ideas!

2. DESSERT: Here is one that everyone is sure to love, chocolate covered strawberries! The Sisters Cafe brings these yummy deserts to the next level. Instead of using milk or dark chocolate, opt for white instead and dip the end into blue sprinkles. The 4th of July means getting back to your American roots, and what better way to honor that than by getting a recipe from Betty Crocker to make the ultimate American flag cake?!

3. APPS: What is Independence Day without your favorite music blasting?! Check out Songza and the app creates a 4th of July playlist for you and your friends! And, give July 4th Fun, Facts and Trivia a try and be the hit of the party by knowing all about the roots of this important holiday!

4. FIREWORKS: All of the biggest shows such as Macys’ Fourth of July Fireworks will be streaming online. However, if you are lucky enough to see fireworks live, head over to one of the many destinations all over the city to celebrate this wonderful holiday! You can find the full list of places to go here!

5. PHOTOS: Check out the latest of the multi-media messaging systems, Cooliris’ BeamIt! This awesome app is basically Instagram, WhatsApp and Flipboard combined. If you want to share pictures but not have it take up most of your day, download BeamIt!

What are you going to do for Independence Day? Will you be making any of these yummy drinks or desserts, or try one of the fun apps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter!

Friday Five: Gifts for the Tech Savvy Valentine

Valentine’s day is right around the corner and here at ABCey, we’ve been chatting about what to get that tech savvy Valentine. We’ve done some digging and found great gifts for any Valentine with a passion for technology!

1. 3D Printed Roses: Give the traditional gift of roses with the ultimate tech spin, 3D printing. You can now order single or dozen roses that are printed instead of grown, lasting forever and exemplifying the strides 3D printing has made in such a short period of time. Makeshop by Brit+Co is partnering with TaskRabbit to help you deliver a futuristic gift to your favorite Valentine.

2. Pebble Watch: Beauty, practicality and technology are all wrapped in one with the Pebble smart watch. Pebble has been the talk to tech wearables with its simple design and fashionable styles (it comes in steel, black and leather) as well as durability. We loved it at CES this year and we know this is the perfect gift for our practical Valentine.

3. Jawbone Jambox Mini: If your Valentine takes the party with them wherever they seem to go, the Jambox Mini is just what they need. The small, ultra slim unibody design means it can go wherever you go! What’s even better? It has 10 hours of battery life which means the party won’t stop until you say so! Check out more of the Jambox mini specs here and decide if it’s perfect for the party animal in your life!

4. Holga Smart Phone Lens: The Holga camera was one of the most exciting camera lenses to play around with and now you can bring the effects of a Holga camera and film to your smartphone! High resolution digital cameras and traditional point-and-shoot cameras have been replaced with the iPhone and the Holga is just one of many new external lenses that now mount onto smartphones, giving you the diversity of interchangeable lenses and options while on the go. We love this option with its old school telephone dial set up and sleek design, its perfect for our personal paparazzo!

5. Chromecast: Chromecast is perfect for the TV/media junkie we all know and absolutely love! This small but amazing device will connect you to your favorite shows, movies and music from almost any service almost anywhere! Chromecast works with devices you already own, including Android tablets and smartphones, iPhones®, iPads®, Chrome for Mac® and Chrome for Windows®. Its the perfect gift for our pop culture informant, and we get to watch with them which is always a plus!

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? What gifts are you giving the special people in your life? Let us know in the comments below, or on Facebook and Twitter!

Event Spotlight: Re:Make by Brit+Co

It’s finally here! We are so excited to announce that the Re:Make event is starting TODAY! This two day event at Fort Mason is hosted by Brit+Co. Dubbed by the press as “Silicon Valley’s Martha Stewart,” Brit Morin is the founder & CEO of Brit+Co, an online platform and e-commerce company that inspires and enables the digital generation to make.

Since the start of the company in late 2011, Brit + Co. has attracted millions of people across web and mobile devices. They have partnered with businesses like Pinterest, Intel, Fab, L’Oreal, YouTube, UNIQLO, Alloy Media, 3M, Nikon and more. Brit has also been featured in publications like the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, People, Lucky, Forbes, Parade, USA Today and Fortune. She is a regular DIY/lifestyle correspondent on The Today Show and is the tech correspondent for Katie Couric’s daytime talk show, Katie, nationally syndicated on ABC.

Day 1, today, is invite only and will feature creative leaders for an intimate conversation about how technology is changing creative industries. We have speakers like Chris Anderson, Ayah Bdeir, Aaron de Simone, Bridget Dolan and many more all making appearances!

Day 2, Saturday, October 5th, is FREE and open to the public! Join us and shop from nearly 1oo local makers and attend free hands-on DIY workshops!

If you aren’t coming today, we hope to see you Saturday! Let us know what you’re most excited for about this event in a comment or on Facebook or Twitter! Stay updated with ABCEy’s blog for more posts on our upcoming events, event ideas and tech news!

ABCey’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Checklist

We love all different kinds of events, but a Cinco de Mayo fiesta always seems to be near the top of the list when it comes to our favorite reasons to celebrate! There’s something about margaritas in May that just feels right. ABCey has compiled a list of things you’ll need this Sunday to throw the ultimate Cinco de Mayo fiesta!

1. Tasty drinks

There are countless variations of the classic margarita. Brit+Co put together an awesome list of ways to change things up with your margs this year!

2. Festive decorations

Not all of us are super creative, but here are decorating ideas to get you started!

3. Great food

There are TONS of great recipes all over the web! We found a site with 20 Recipes for Cinco de Mayo.

4. Fun games

No fiesta would be complete without a piñata. If you’ve never made your own before, this is the perfect excuse to get creative! Here’s 20 Creative Ways To Make A Piñata.

5. Mariachi music

If you’re really in the spirit, you can hire an actual Mariachi band to play at your house…or you could move the party elsewhere to hear some live music!

Check out the ABCey Cinco de Mayo Pinterest board for more ideas! Let us know what we missed in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!