Stacey McGregor

Today, not only does technology make household appliances a whole heck of a lot quieter than they used to be, but it makes life a whole heck of a lot easier as well. All you need to do is look at Samsung’s range of appliances to see how.

Let’s be honest. Wires suck. They’re ugly, intrusive, binding, and seemingly everywhere you look. We’re right smack dab in the middle of an era where we all have so many personal electronic devices and gadgets that it seems as though every electric outlet in our homes needs an adapter to accommodate many more inputs than the two for which it was designed. That’s why I was happy to review the new Polk Omni S2 Wireless Speaker. I’ve been looking for a new wireless speaker for my home office for some time now … and the Polk Omni was given the honour of being my first guinea pig.

I’m by no financial expert, but I have two things going for me that have made me somewhat of a pro in the “know where your money is going” category. First, I work for a large financial institution and part of my gig is to understand what we all “should” be doing with our finances. Second, my financial history is very similar to the Titanic—an epic fail—so I have had to make changes in my life to avoid future “icebergs.” So with that said, here are some tools, tips, and tricks to help you know where your money is going and be a financial rock star in 2015 and beyond.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine exercising without music. Not only does it motivate me to work harder—especially when certain pop anthems from more than a decade ago come on (like Toxic by Britney Spears … don’t judge me)—but music helps to pass the time and gives me something to concentrate on other than how sweaty I am and how smelly the guy is on the treadmill next to me. I’ll suggest a couple great headphones that can help keep fitness fun for you, and for the people around you.

One morning last week, I woke up with such a terrible pain in my neck and shoulder that I thought I had been stabbed in my sleep. As soon as I realized that I watch far too many crime dramas on TV, I managed to wrench myself out of bed and get ready for the day ahead. Considering the fact that I had done nothing even remotely strenuous the day before, I figured there could only be one culprit responsible for my agony—my pillow. My pancake flat, ancient, misshapen pillow that I love ever so much. But as it turns out, buying a new pillow isn’t as easy as you’d think! There are a tone of options out there. Armed with my newfound knowledge, I thought I’d share with you the 411 on pillows.

I don’t know about you, but for me, one of the best things about the holidays is selecting gifts for my family that I know will bring a smile to their faces on Christmas morning. But being the daughter-aunt-sister-sister-in-law that always picks the perfect gifts is getting increasingly difficult as the years go by. My parents don’t need anything, and when they want something they just go and buy it. My nieces and nephews are at the age where anything “cool” on their list is likely something Auntie hasn’t heard of. And my brother and sister-in-law, well all they want is to take their four kids to Disneyland, and that’s entirely out of the question. So after a considerable amount of thought, here’s what I chose for them this year – five fantastic gifts that are sure to get anyone excited on Christmas morning.