Tag: just for fun
6 Tips for Throwing a Super Bowl Party on a Budget!
It’s that time of year again! We are just days away from one of television’s most-watched events, the 48th annual Super Bowl! More than 108 million people tuned in for last year, and we can only expect that number will increase for this year’s event. The Super Bowl showdown takes place this Sunday, February 2nd between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos. Not only are the two best teams in the league facing one another, this is the first ever Super Bowl taking place in an outdoor stadium at the Meadowlands, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets.
Year after year, people gather to enjoy the game of football, those hilarious commercials, the halftime show, and of course to see which team gets the Lombardi trophy. If you’re hosting a party this year, it can be stressful to decide how much to spend on food and beverages. No need to worry! Leah Ingram, author of Suddenly Frugal, brings us 6 tips to throwing a Super Bowl party on a budget.
1. Use coupons and buy on sale. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t spend the time collecting coupons to save the most money. It will go a long way if you can save on each item you are looking to purchase.
2. Buy in bulk to save the most. Get out that Costco card and shop at a warehouse club! Any time of membership will do. Snacks and finger foods will be much cheaper if you buy them in bulk. Don’t forget about paper towels and bottled water, both are essentials to keeping a clean house and hydrated group!
3. Avoid convenience to keep costs down. If you’re adding a few healthy items to the menu, make sure to buy in large quantities. Dips can be a party favorite, so make sure to buy fruits and vegetables in bulk that can be cut for dipping. It’s a simple and easy to share dish!
4. Make your party menu with next week’s dinner in mind. Tons of planning can go into throwing a Super Bowl party, and often times we end up with more food than we can handle for one evening. Make sure your leftovers can be made into meals to feed yourself or family over the next week or so. This way you will have made the most of your party purchases!
5. Go with one-dish wonders. Think about a few bold dishes that will satisfy your guests! Chili, tacos, and macaroni and cheese are great options because you can add in a buffet for toppings where guests can dress up their dishes in any way they would like.
6. Think potluck. Ask your guests to chip in by bringing a dish! Hosting won’t seem as stressful, and you can save some extra cash. And hey, it can be fun to enjoy a variety of foods and see who came up with the most creative dish!
These useful tips can assist you in planning a party on a budget and make this Super Bowl a fun and exciting experience! What tips will you use when planning your Super Bowl Extravaganza, and who do you think will take home the Lombardi Trophy?! Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
Have You Been Missing Out On Lazy Bear?
San Francisco is one of America’s best cities for foodies as chosen by Travel + Leisure readers! With tons of eclectic restaurants in the Bay Area, it can be tricky to decide where to dine. When we heard about an underground fine dining restaurant, we had to find out more!
Lazy Bear, run by David Barzelay, serves dinner to the public about three weekends per month, typically on Friday, Saturday, and Monday. Reservations are usually closed, so the best way to snag a reservation is to get on the mailing list. With over 10,000 subscribers, you will be one of many to hear about upcoming events.
Each set of dinners is an all-new menu and no dishes are repeated. Lazy Bear is the highest-rated “New American” restaurant in all of San Francisco according to Yelp.com and has been named one of the best underground restaurants in the city.
This unique restaurant usually has 1,000+ waitlists for 120 spots in one weekend. While the public events are popular to say the very least, Lazy Bear also holds private dinners for groups. The team will craft a custom menu for every event, making each experience at Lazy Bear personalized and special.
Here at ABCey, we love to check out restaurants that stand out among others which is why we find Lazy Bear so fascinating! This underground dining experience gained its popularity from word of mouth, so go check it! Let us know what you think in the comments below or on Facebook & Twitter!
ABCey’s Weekend Lineup 1.23.14 – 1.26.14
We are so excited for all the fun things going on in San Francisco this weekend! Here at ABCey, we like to get a jump start by coming up with our plans for the days ahead. Here are the events we are really looking forward to!
FEATURED EVENT: Beats for Boobs | Saturday, January 25th| Mezzanine| 7pm| The volunteer based fundraiser is kicking off 2014 by celebrating its 10 Year Anniversary! Come out and enjoy the fun while contributing to a great cause. Beats for Boobs San Francisco has been raising funds for local breast cancer organizations for a decade! The event combines a live fashion show, food, DJ lineup, art, and education. This is a can’t miss celebration! The fun doesn’t stop there, challenge yourself by taking on the Boobie Prize Wheel, and hey, it’s all for an amazing cause. I know where I’ll be spending my Saturday! Purchase your tickets, and if you can’t make it, you can still give a donation.
1. Tech in Motion: Startup to Success | Thursday, January 23rd| Startup House| 6:30pm-8pm| Join the first Tech in Motion meet-up of 2014! Tech in Motion San Francisco is hosting its first ever panel discussion. Various experts in the tech industry will be participating by sharing their secrets to success. Perri Blake Gorman, Founder and CEO of Archively, a company that approaches problems in HR Tech, will serve as the moderator for the panel. Tech industry participants include Poornima Vijayashanker, Scott Bedard, Jakob Storm, and Kieran Farr. Hear their great insights and learn how you can be successful in the industry!
2. Smug Shift | Friday, January 24th| The Verdi Club| 10:30pm| Local comedians Brent Weinbach and Moshe Kasher began their comedy show in Oakland called Smug Shift. Their show is unique because it takes stand-up comedy out of the club, and into warehouse spaces and rock venues! These two comedians draw in audiences that wouldn’t normally go out to see comedy by bringing the comedy club to them! With sketch and video included throughout their show, Brent and Moshe will put on an unforgettable performance as part of SF Sketchfest! Named “Best of the Bay” by the East Bay Express, this is a comical experience you don’t want to miss.
3. Battle of the Decades| Friday, January 24th| Monroe| 6pm-10pm| Combine a Happy Hour, after work party, theme night, and DJ showcase and what do you get?! An awesome Friday night! Here is what you can expect for this fun-filled event: a Food Truck, and each hour representing a different decade of music and drink prices! 6 pm kicks off with 70’s music with 70’s drink prices. Each hour moves through the 80’s, 90’s, 2000’s, and the current top 40 music selections! Come out to see which decade is your favorite.
4. San Francisco Symphony | Saturday, January 25th| Davies Symphony Hall| 2pm| This production is both exciting and enjoyable for all ages! The kid-sized classical concert is designed for families in the Bay area. It explores Music Here, There, Everywhere! Music is everywhere in our lives, and people of all ages can learn to appreciate the sounds they hear wherever they go. Tickets come at a reasonable cost, and are half price for ages 17 and under. Enjoy a family filled Saturday with the San Francisco Symphony!
5. San Francisco Fine Print Fair | Saturday, January 25th – Sunday, January 26th| The Golden Gate Club | 10 am-6pm| The annual Fair is made up of comprehensive printmaking created by renowned artists. The event is organized by the International Fine Print Dealers Association, a non-profit organization. All work can be purchased at an affordable price. Gruenwald Press will put on printmaking demonstrations during the day. At 10 am on Sunday, January 26th, come out for a free lecture presented by Michael Labrie, Director of Collections at the Walt Disney Family Museum.
10 Interesting Social Media Facts
Social media plays a huge role in our lives, whether we like it or not! To honor our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, ABCey compiled a list of the most interesting social media fun-facts. Enjoy!
1. Half of all smartphones connect to Facebook every hour of every day!
2. 20% of Google searches every day have never been searched before. Which begs the question: what the heck are you searching??
3. The most optimal photos (ones that get the most likes and repins) on Pinterest are photos of salad.
4. “Earlybird” is the most popular Instagram filter, yet 47% prefer #nofilter.
5. The average LinkedIn user is a male college graduate.
6. Twitter handles more search queries per month than Bing and Yahoo combined!
7. Links about sex are shared 90% more than any other link. (Doesn’t its inclusion on this list say it all?)
8. 53% of people on Twitter recommend products in their tweets, which is important because most people trust recommendations from friends versus the 14% of people who trust advertisers. Social media is more important to business than you’d think!
9. 7% of Americans have never heard of Facebook. We don’t know how this happened.
10. More than 350 million users suffer from Facebook Addiction Syndrome.
Want to channel some social media yourself? Tell us what you think of this article with a comment here or on Facebook & Twitter!
A Drink and A View: The Best Rooftop Bars in SF
When the fog settles in after sunset, the city can get a little chilly for some. We’re thankful that a little fog didn’t stop these five bar owners! If you’ve been looking for the perfect places to spend those warm San Franciscan nights, ABCey has you covered!
1. Jones | 620 Jones Street | You might have overlooked this TenderNob gem, but on Friday nights, you can’t ignore the huge line down the hill! Inside, the bar is futuristically chrome, which opens up to a wooden, earthy rooftop space. Their focus is clearly cocktails, and it would be an injustice to pass up “Tears of a Gypsy” or a “Kensington Zinger,” both made with their house-made syrups!
2. El Techo de Lolinda | 2518 Mission Street | Incredible food, creative drinks, and a rooftop view? We dare you to stop us on our way up to this fifth floor cantina, which translates to “Lolinda’s Roof.” Jazzed-up Latin American street food like chicharrones and ceviche pair wonderfully with the tropical rum, pisco, and tequila laden cocktail lineup. Get ready to be wowed by El Techo’s tapas plating style and the stunning views of San Francisco.
3. Bluestem Brasserie | 1 Yerba Buena Lane | Enjoy Napa Valley’s finest and freshest ingredients in Bluestem’s familiar yet refined brasserie cuisine. And if you’ve come for a drink, there are plenty to choose from! In addition to an impressive selection of scotch and cocktails (who doesn’t want to try a Honey Badger?), they have wine and beer on tap in addition to our Napa Valley favorites.
4. The View | 55 4th Street | Decor and carpeting aside, if you’re looking for incredible San Francisco views through Gotham City-style windows, head down to the Marriott Marquis in the Financial district. They offer the normal array of cocktails and bar food, but on a clear night, the view is remarkable!
5. The Starlight Room | 450 Powell Street | Classic and sometimes kitchy, you gotta love the Starlight Room for its charm as a San Francisco icon. Their cocktail menu is designed to take you through time from the 1600’s to Present Day, and everything from the food to the drinks is done with class and elegance. Where else but San Francisco can you have a Bellini at a Sunday’s a Drag brunch?
What do you think of our picks? Do you have any to add? Tell us in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!
The 10 Dating Apps You Definitely Don’t Want
We’re told that online dating leads to 1 in every 5 relationships. If these were the only dating apps out there, that probably wouldn’t be the case! ABCey brings you the funniest, creepiest, and downright bizarre dating apps out there for some Friday fun!
1. LuLu | Also known as the most terrifying app to men, LuLu lets you describe men you’ve seen with a series of hashtags. Some of the ones you’ll want to avoid are #CheaperThanABigMac, #WanderingEye, and #OwnsCrocs. Ouch!
2. On the Rebound | This app links to Facebook and notifies you if anyone becomes single. Because the only thing better than being “Facebook Official” is being Facebook Unofficial.
3. Flavor Connect | What’s your dating flavor: strawberry fling, lemon fancy, or vanilla fidelity? Something tells us that vanilla isn’t very popular!
4. Hot or Not | This app promises to answer the age-old question, “How do I tell someone if I like them?” Rating them on a scale of 1-10 is sure to get you a first date!
5. Cloud Girlfriend | In this dating realm, nobody expects you to be yourself! Dubbed as virtual fake dating, this site lets you create an avatar that flirts with other anonymous users’ avatars.
6. InstaDo | This exactly is what it sounds like. Through this app, you can invite someone to coffee, dinner, or to “do it.” Somehow, we don’t think you’ll even get the coffee!
7. Haloo | You will immediately be dubbed “stalker” when you walk up to someone with this opener: “Hey, I saw through my phone’s GPS that you were near me and read that you like red wine and country music. Are you free later?”
8. SpeedDate | This app gives you coins every time you chat with someone that helps you unlock “special flirting powers.” Who said dating isn’t a game?
9. KimYe | Pretend you’re the proud parents of baby North in this game to woo Kim’s heart. Avoid Reggie Bush, Ray J, and her other exes while you battle to beat the 72-day clock- or else you’re “Humphried!” We’re thinking Kim will want to sit this one out.
10. GothicMatch | Dubbed the “best underground community site for Gothic and Vampire people.” I’m in if Edward’s in!
What do you think of these dating apps? Which is the best, worst, or funniest? Let us know in a comment, on Twitter, or on Facebook!
5 Ways to DIY “Rustic Chic” Events
It’s finally summer and the long, lazy days are the perfect setting for a chic rustic party. Instead of spending too much on invitations and centerpieces, try ABCey’s best ways to DIY your next rustic event!
1. Centerpieces | Mason jars are a popular staple for rustic centerpieces, so try using other vessels! Old or new glass bottles of varying shapes and sizes are a good way to play up proportionality around the table. If you want more of a shabby-chic vibe, head to the pantry for some canned goods. You can strip them down and leave them bare or adorn them with lace or a ribbon!
2. Invitations | DIY-ing your invitations is possible for even for largest of guest lists! Use stamps to give your invitations a vintage, cattle brand feel.
3. Decorations | Decorating your rustic event can be very hands-on and is a great opportunity to show your event’s personality. Paper lanterns, strings of pinecones, and using wooden ladders as a tiered display are easy ways to adorn the event space.
4. Food | Rustic events pair well with classic comfort foods. For cute hors d’oeuvres, whip up a charcuterie and cheese plate, mini pies, or tacos. If you decide to cater, you can still dress up the place settings with mini chalkboard name tags and utensils sealed with burlap and twine.
5. Party Favors | The possibilities are endless! If the event is rustic, keep the favors simple yet put together. Try out homemade jams, cookies, candles, or soaps. If you used the centerpiece ideas, send them home with guests! Put the gifts in wooden baskets, personalized burlap sacks, or mini cardboard box and voila!
Which of our DIY ideas are your favorite? Tell us in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!
5 Creative Ways to use Social Media at your Next Event
People have been using social media to spread the word about their events for a while now, and ABCey thinks it’s time for a make-over! Follow our fun and effective tips that use technology to make your next event the very best it can be!
1. Facebook Invitations with a Twist | Creating a Facebook event is so blah. Spice it up with a picture of you and the event details and tag your friends! These pictures combine the personal and creative feel of a handmade invitation with the accessibility of social media.
2. Share What You Want | Using apps like the Scan & Add app from Gift Registry 360 allow you to update your gift registry at any time. If you see something you like, scan the barcode with your phone! The item will automatically appear on your registry and shared with your guests.
3. Use a Photo Booth that Tweets | Guests will have a blast with Keshot, a photo booth that uses an iPad for guests to sent their photos at your event to their personal social media accounts. You can also customize the photobooth background to your event’s specific needs, like adding a corporate logo. Everyone loves to share their photos online, so make it fun for them!
4. InstaContest | Have guests send their best photos of your live event to your event’s personal Instagram page. Your guests will vote with their “likes,” and the winner can receive a special party favor during the event! This is a great way to keep guests interested in the party and appreciate your beautiful decorations!
5. Tap a Thank-You | Instead of sending another e-card, use Felt, an iPad app that sends your hand-written cards to all your friends. Use the app to write or draw inside the card template and address the envelope. The card comes from the printer with your personal messages ready for delivery. This app is perfect for large events because it eliminates hand cramping after 500 thank-you notes!
How can you use social media for your next event? Let us know in a comment and on Facebook and Twitter!
The 5 Oddest iPhone Gadgets
Since we always seem to have our iPhones in hand, it was only a matter of time before we started inventing alternate uses for them. At ABCey, we’ve scoured our Pinterest for the most outrageous and downright absurd uses for iPhones out there. These just go to show that in the tech world, no idea is too far fetched!
1. Fan | The Doc Fan for iPhone is technically the “coolest” accessory available! Simply plug the fan into the charger inlet of your iPhone and switch it on for a nice breeze during your rush hour commute. Although a fan would be nice sometimes, it must be a serious battery drain!
2. Ultrasound | Who needs a doctor when you own an iPhone? The MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System is designed to bring affordable and available ultrasound imaging to anyone, anywhere. You can even use this device to take and send pictures to your doctor or relatives but, please, don’t make your unborn child a Facebook page.
3. Bottle Opener | Since we never put down our iPhones anyway, we might as well put them to good use! Next time you’re having brews with your friends, why not use your Intoxicase iPhone case’s bottle opener to help you out? Nothing screams “iPhone replacement” like bending your phone repeatedly over carbonated liquids!
4. The Anti-Lonliness Ramen Bowl | No, we aren’t being sassy. There is really a product with this outrageous name! If you’ve ever had to make the crippling decision between using your hands to eat or to prop up your iPhone, help has finally arrived. Uses include using the bowl’s speaker function to listen to music, video chat with friends, or podcast the morning news over a bowl of cereal.
5. Toilet Paper Holder | Imagine installing this in your bathroom! This iPod speaker system and toilet paper holder combo is for the special consumer who spends a considerable amount of time singing in the shower and requires back-up music. Just try to keep it from falling in, please!
Are these gadgets too bizarre, or would you like to own one? Tell us your thoughts in a comment or on Facebook and Twitter!
Upgrading the Invitation
At ABCey, we’re obsessed with all things tech and digital. Yet few things compare to opening up your mailbox and seeing a little envelope with your hand-written name on it. Sending prospective guests a non-digital invitation sets your event apart from the rest in our digital world. Our advice for invitations is to make them thematic, bold, and personal. Try out these creative twists on the traditional invitation to amp up the buzz for your next event!
1. Make it Yummy | Channel Willy Wonka and give your guests a golden ticket to remember! Everyone loves to get a little something sweet, so try printing the event details on the wrapper of a candy bar or over a tin of cookies. Whatever goodies you choose, make sure they can stand the trip without damage.
2. Make it Useful | If you want people to remember your event far beyond its end, make an invitation that’s sure to stick around. This is a perfect idea for corporate or launch events to ensure your business, literally, becomes a household name! Think outside the pen and try a kitchen towel, candle, a mug, or a chip clip. Imagine any item you use daily and make it happen!
3. Make it Pop | Reading in 2D is so overrated. Make your invitees work a little with invitations you decode with 3D glasses! Using 3D is a fun way to amp up a traditional paper and envelope in the mail.
4. Make it Go | Make your next event a first-class affair with invitations for your favorite jet-setters. Even if your party isn’t a destination getaway, the same exotic feel can be achieved with luggage tags, tickets, hot air balloons, or train-themed cards and invitations.
5. Make it Open | This is one instance where thinking inside the box can be fun and surprising. Although giving away boxes full of goodies can get pretty pricy, there are ways to keep your invitations inexpensive and chic. Boxes in all shapes, sizes, and colors are easy to find for around a dollar a piece and can be stuffed with confetti or a little balloon. Using a box makes your invite seem like a special gift to your guests, and who doesn’t love receiving packages?
Do you have a creative twist on the paper invitation? Tell us in a comment below or on Facebook and Twitter!