Like any gathering, an authentic New England clambake requires hard work. Unlike most other parties, you also have to get your hands dirty. However, there are tips and tricks to make the party fun for the host as well as the guests. It doesn't have to be all hard work. A few key shortcuts can make your clam bake fun for everyone, including you.

How do you start a New England Clambake? First, you must travel to the beach and start digging two to three feet down. Next, line the pit with smooth rocks and light a fire. The rocks will heat to around 400 degrees. Then, cover the rocks with seaweed. Add potatoes, corn (with husks) and your clams. Use more seaweed to cover the food. Throw a tarp over the pit and let the food steam for around three hours.

If the beach isn't a realistic option for you, you can use your ordinary stove to steam the food. The pit is replaced by a big steel pot. A little seaweed and some real seawater will add the flavor of the ocean to your home clam bake. You will use your pot the same as a pit. A layer of rocks on the bottom, then seaweed, then the food are all placed in the pot. Boil the seawater and steam your dinner for 20 minutes.

The clams can also be grilled without seaweed or seawater, you can also grill the potatoes, though they may first need to be boiled as they take longer to cook then the corn and the clams. Use a charcoal grill and get the coals hot before adding the corn, the clams, and the half-baked potatoes.

Whatever cooking technique you settle on, remember to use soft-shelled mollusks in such categories as cherrystones or littlenecks. Do not prepare quahogs, which have hard shells. Best food hygiene calls for eating only those clams which pop open spontaneously as a result of cooking. You should not attempt to force open any unopened shells. Just throw them out.

You can hold your clambake on the beach or you can cook it on your own stove. Either way is good. Just be sure to take a few extra steps to make it special. An added live lobster is a real treat. Sausage or other foods can make the meal hearty. The most important addition is the time you share with your friends and family. That is what makes the unique tradition of a New England clambake especially memorable.

Hosting a true New England clambake means long hours, hard work and getting your hands very dirty. A few shortcuts will help you enjoy your clambake celebration as much as your guests. When the rocks are about 400 degrees start lining the rocks with potatoes, seaweed, and delicious clams. Line the bottom of the large pot with small rocks, then layer your clams, corn, potatoes and seaweed the same way you would in a pit. Throw in a live lobster or two to make a special treat, or perhaps a more hearty meal by throwing in some sausage.

- Matthew Lewis

My family has always thrown a Fourth of July party the Saturday before the actual Fourth of July. Some of our traditions are an epic water balloon fight, plenty of kegs of beer, and an extraordinary firework. The most important custom though has always been the food and its display. We usually have something catered like chicken, sandwiches, potato salads, sushi, etc. I recall a pig roaster being hired one year, a nice alternative but very expensive. Last years Fourth of July party though was a total success. We threw a clambake celebration and everyone enjoyed it very much.

I would recommend doing with the seafood route to anybody thinking of throwing a summer celebration similar to what we do. Let's face it- its never really "cheap" to hire professional catering for a party. But, if you have already made the decision to cater anyway, the seafood route isn't much more expensive than the traditional chicken/potato salad, macaroni, or whatever other boring food the caterers typically tend to provide.

For the last couple of years there have been approximately 200 people to our 4th of July parties. Experience tells us that it is not likely for all 200 to be there at the same time, but an overall estimate for this year is the same as usual. I wouldn't suggest throwing a clambake celebration with less than 40 guests, due to it being a little wasteful. If you expect more than 40 participants though, a party of this kind might be fun!

The clambake celebration that we hosted was obviously through a catering company. We ordered a full menu, including clams, mussels, lobsters, and quahogs. They bring over live lobster, and kill/cook them in front of you. Half of the fun (both for the children and the adults) is to watch the showmanship of the chefs doing this. They also have a lot of rocks and seafood laid out that they serve the food on top of.

What we ordered was considered to be a "standard clambake" but they also had an option for a "New England clambake". Both were similarly priced, but I guess that the New England one had more local menu offerings for New England stuff. I was pleased with the one we ordered, but I cannot say anything about the New England style, because I haven't tried it (yet!)

We are very delighted to do a clambake celebration once again for the 4th of July party this year. Everything is already planned, and we just can't wait for July to come! It's such a great food that we didn't consider anything else to eat. But of course there will also be lots of beer and water balloon fights.

- Michael Chapman

Everyone has experienced this. We switch on the computer in order to write that important report or presentation, but unfortunately the computer is not in the mood to function properly today. However, regardless of the problem, whether it is the word processor, spreadsheet or other type of software that won't work, Microsoft Windows XP has a utility specially designed to help fix this issue. This utility is called "System Restore".

Essentially, system restore works behind the scenes of your operating system, taking "snapshots" of different components of the computers workings. In this way, if a part of the operating system fails, the system restore utility is able to look back at the snapshots it took and restore the system from a previous day when the component was working properly. This snapshot strategy allows all your current data like documents, projects and pictures to be preserved and only changes the flawed part of the system to it's previous functional state.

In order to restore your computer just follow these simple steps: Close any open programs. Click on the Windows "Start" button (normally located on the bottom of your computer desktop) Click on "All Programs" Click on "Accessories" Click on "System Tools" Then click on "System Restore" At this point the System Restore wizard will launch. You will have two options: "Restore my system from an earlier date" or "Create a system restore point"

If you just need to restore your system and get it working correctly again, just select option "a" and click "Next." On this screen you can select a date from the calendar that you would like to try and restore from. So, if you knew that your computer worked fine two days ago, just pick that date on the calendar and click "Next." The next screen is the confirmation window. Just verify the information on the screen and click "Next." Windows XP will then reboot and try to restore your system with the settings from the date you selected.

The System Restore process can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much reconfiguration Windows XP needs to do and how fast of a PC you have. When System Restore is done, a screen will popup with the results of the restore. If it was successful, you can then log into the system and start using the computer again. Any quirky issues that you were having are now hopefully gone.

The System Restore function is a great way to ensure the safety of your computer when making changes to it. When you are installing a new program or driver, it is wise to create a system restore point. This restore point will take a snapshot of your system so that if there is any problem with the installation (such as spyware or a virus), you can bring your system back to the exact state it was prior to the installation. If you change a setting or install a new program and then have computer problems, you can simply restore the settings from the selected point. Over time, you will get into the habit of using the System Restore function.

You can get the latest Tiger Direct Coupons here: Tiger Direct. Andrea writes about Online Shopping Comparison at http://www.discountsonline.com

- Andrea Dilea

Have you ever considered a magazine subscription service? I am a huge fan of magazines, so, the idea of getting magazines at a substantial discount is very appealing. Especially, when I travel, which is extensively for work, magazines are an amazing way to pass the time while waiting on line in airports or for cabs.



One thing to keep in mind is that magazines are not just for you. You should take the time to think of the people who are close to you. A Boy's Life online magazine subscription is something that every boy from 7 to 17 years old should be reading. It is great for anyone who love scouting, sports, video games and electronics. There are regular columns on records, books, movies, stamps and coins, hobbies and other subjects of interest to boys. You get a magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) each and every month. There are three editions to choose from: the low edition is for Tiger Cubs and Cub Scouts through age eight; the middle edition is for Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts above age nine; the high edition is for Boy Scouts and all other subscribers.

And, please, don't forget your wife. My wife loves the idea of an Esquire magazine gift subscription. If you're in a bind on buying a gift, give a magazine subscription, and they will think of you all year long as the magazines comes usually every month depending on what you buy. Esquire, as you may know, always has the famous, the infamous, the influential, and the up and coming. It spotlights the movers and shakers in sports, industry, design and film. The writers are fabulous and include the caliber of writers you find in other magazines like Vanity Fair (like Dominick Dunne and Gail Sheehy). Also, their photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Herb Ritts have won numerous awards.

Another magazine subscription that is absolutely indispensible is New Man magazine subscription. New Man is the best Christian Men's Magazine bar none. The magazine is dedicated to helping men complete their roles as God intended in their families, churches, careers, and communities. This is a first class publication that is absolutely delightful every time I read it. Now, I can get every issue right to my mailbox. This is what I call luxury living.

Jason Ciment manages two Internet sites: MagMall.com and WebCart.net. MagMall is a magazine subscriptions service that offers new, gift and renewal subscriptions to individuals, businesses, students, libraries and schools. When you subscribe through MagMall you can consolidate all your magazine subscriptions with one bill AND you can save up to 85% off retail newsstand prices. WebCart is one of the original Php based

- Menlo Lippowski

Every woman looks forward to her wedding day. While most of us dream of elaborate weddings with all the finer things, these days those kinds of weddings just aren't practical for some people. If you can stop yourself from spending unnecessary amounts of money, cheap weddings are very possible. Here are some things you can do to prevent unnecessary spending:

Bridal Shops:

Stand your ground and don't let them order a dress in a size that you know will be too large for you. You know what size you wear; you're the one who's been trying on wedding dresses. But bridal shops will try to talk you into a bigger size, saying that you need to allow for this or that. What happens is you end up shelling out money for a seamstress to take the dress in and make other alterations. Make sure that they order the dress in your size. This is one way to pull off cheap weddings.

Vendors:

Regardless of the vendor, no matter who it is, be sure you know what all their fees are from the beginning. Whether it's the caterer or the band, you want to make sure that they don't end up charging you some sort of fees for nonsense things. Get your agreement in writing, and ask them flat out if there are any hidden fees.

Don't Say Wedding:

Here's a secret to getting good prices when you're calling around and getting price quotes from vendors: Don't tell them it's for a wedding. If you just tell them you're having an 'event', this will save you more money– sounds silly, but it's true.

Once vendors hear the word 'wedding,' their prices skyrocket to three or four times the price for a different event the same size as a wedding.

Do get a price quote, but don't be afraid to haggle a bit and see if they'll go lower. Cheap weddings result from following tips like this. Is this really possible? Of course! The only thing is that you need to stick with your budget and steer clear of unnecessary spending.

Want a champagne wedding on a beer budget? Visit Wedding Planner Secrets and discover how to create Cheap Weddings complete with Cheap Wedding Cakes and everything else you could possibly need.

- Candace Smith

For hundreds of years clambakes have widely existed. Originally introduced by the Native Americans in the New England area, they are now known the world over as New England Clambakes. With the spring season approaching, it's a great time to plan a clambake with close friends and family.

The first clambakes were made in a pit. The pit was dug and filled partially with a layer of stones. Then it was layered with clams, potatoes, lobsters, and corn husks on top of hot stones with fresh seaweed separating the layers. Native Americans would make a fire in the pit to be able to cook the fresh seafood and veggies. When the fire is reduced to only hot ash and embers, they'd put the seafood on some very hot stones.

You can find many places to order your fresh shellfish for a healthy and fun clam bake. Clambake orders generally come in two different verities, the standard clambake and the super deluxe clambake. Both normally contain lobster, clam, chowder, and supplies you will need to prepare and serve your clambake. Mussels, shrimp, or other fresh shellfish are added for the super deluxe clambake.

Subject to the number of people attending, folks opting to hold a genuine clambake generally have a "super deluxe clambake." Having extra shellfish gives the party a wider appeal, and increases the odds of people going home with full bellies. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of everyone at the clambake having a good time.

Today, modern cooking methods have replaced the old fashion clambake. Now, clambakes are cooked on the stove, or outside on the grill. If you have a fire pit, that is a great place to cook your clambake. Clambakes are a wonderful way to throw an outdoor party, and are extra fun while camping. As an added bonus, outside cooking means minimal clean up!

A clambake is a great idea to consider for your next party. Unprocessed fresh foods such as seafood and shellfish are especially healthy and nutritious. A clambake also naturally offers your guests a festive party atmosphere. This makes for a very special alternative to the traditional, and usually less nutritious party foods a host often makes available to partygoers.

Talk about a real conversation starter - consider hosting a Classic American Clambake during the outdoor party season. The healthier clambake is superior to junk food or take-out and is definitely more interesting. Your guests will continue to discuss the clambake and related topics throughout the party, so your party will be lots of fun.

- Michael Chapman

A stiff neck, aching wrists and shoulders feeling like someone folded them up: do you know about this? All of us which do seat behind desks all day long will understand the symptom of work place fatigues.

Being lethargic, in a mental fog, and being susceptible to other stress-related ailments are often caused by poor blood and lymph circulation within your body. This is often caused by sitting at a desk for long periods of time, using a poorly designed workstation, and not taking ergonomic requirements into consideration. To counteract this, David Palmer, one of the co-developers of the first chair massager, designed his chair to stimulate this circulation that will make the user more alert, and more productive !

The sedentary nature of office work can often lead to ciculatory problems, as well as low energy levels. Chair massage can act against this, and give employees bit of mental relief from the days duties as well. By relieving the strain on the muscles of the back, neck, arms, and hands, a chair massager will increase circulation, and thereby the worker's energy, as well as helping prevent work related injury. Rest for the eyes during the massage is an added bonus.

Check all the specs in the many types of electric massage chairs before you purchase so you can get a right fit. There are types that provide rolling, tapping, kneading deep tissue Shiatsu massage, and those that have simultaneous triple-function. Electric massage chairs use a revolutionary technology and will bring you much relaxation.

Then there is also the hand held electric massager if space is your problem.Relieve everyday aches and pains with these back and neck massagers, head massagers, foot and leg massagers. These hand-held electric massagers and massage tools can easily be used by you or someone else in need of immediate relief.

We've created the electric massager to give you a therapeutic professional-type massage at home! If used correctly, our electric massager will last for years to come, helping you release muscle tension and ease stress. With your busy schedule, you don't have time to go for a massage all the time, but you need to relieve stress and relax. And what could be better than relaxing in the comfort of your own home? Try one of our electric massagers now and see how much better you'll feel!

David Palmer, who assisted with the development of the chair massager ascribes most physical symptoms of office-related stress to reduced blood circulation. New devices such as electric massage chairs make us of incredible technologies giving you tapping, rolling kneading deep Shiatsu massages and also will make simultaneously triple functions enjoyable. It gives real relaxation to all. For people living in cramped quarters, try a portable device. These can fit in your hand and remove common nagging soreness in extremities, back, and neck. Try our electric massager now and see how much better you will feel!

- Menachem Green

So, I went to a bachelorette party recently and got a funny story out of it. The bride's maid of honor was in charge, and she had done a lovely job putting the party together.

She had invited all the friends of the bride, she had decorated everything beautifully, and she had planned lots of fun bachelorette games. As it turned out, one of them was a bad idea.

The bride's maid of honor had an idea. She thought it would be funny if everyone drank margaritas for this game and answered questions. If there was a question you didn't want to answer, you had to finish your drink. All right, that didn't seem bad at first.

It was a large group of girls, and what girl doesn't like gossip and sharing funny stories? However, with some of the questions these ladies were coming up with, halfway through the game the entire place looked like an AA meeting. All the girls were stuck on this game; we didn't move on to one of the other bachelorette games.

Some of them were sobbing as they spilled the beans about their boyfriends or husbands. It started out as funny stories about men, and now it had become a contest about who had the worst relationship!

Others were consoling the sobbing ones before launching into their own stories, and by the end of the game a couple of the girls were ready to pass out amongst the gorgeous party decorations. This is one of those bachelorette games gone wrong.

Luckily, I was one of the few sober ones and sat back watching in horror. As I got ready to leave, I couldn't help wondering if there was going to be a wedding after all?

Throw the best bachelorette party ever! Visit Bachelorette Games and get creative and fun bachelorette party ideas no matter how clean or wild you want your party to be.

- Coreen Christobel

Some women have their bridal showers in a great outdoor location such as a lovely garden or backyard. This is a great opportunity to use some beautiful bridal shower decoration ideas.

Having Paper lanterns, hung from branches of trees is a beautiful idea. This creates a soft and whimsical glow that will add to the beauty of your bridal shower.

Candles also go very well with outdoor bridal shower decorations. If you have several tables set up, placing a beautiful candle centerpiece on each one is a great idea. If you will be having your bridal shower around a pool, fill the pool with floating candles and light them. This effect is stunning and beautiful.

In any setting, flowers are a great addition to bridal shower decoration. Choose your flowers in coordinating colors that go well with your party theme. Some women will use different flowers for what month they are getting married in.

For instance, a June wedding could be represented by honeysuckle and roses. If you were having a December wedding, Snowdrops and Holly would be a gorgeous addition to your bridal shower decoration ideas. Make sure that no matter what you choose for bridal shower decorations that it is something you love. This will be something that you can look back on your whole life.

You want those memories to be cherished and happy. Choosing things that you will love, and that will make you feel good is the best idea. Use these ideas and tips to create some bridal shower decorations that turns your party into one that will never be forgotten.

There are many different themes and ideas you can use for outdoor bridal shower decorations.

You can find even more great Bridal Shower Decorations, Bridal Shower Cakes and more… at Bridal Shower Ideas.

- Jessica P

Do you want to be the hottest rider out there? Some wakeboarders would rather just ride the smaller waves and not take big risks; others crave a little challenge.

The challenging route is something that most serious wakeboarders envision themselves taking. And what does it take to do all those cool wakeboard tricks? Time, patience, and practice. Better get a move on if you haven't started yet!

There are lots of fantastic and exhilarating tricks just waiting for you: The slides, the spins, the blinds, the inverts, the loops, and more. But to begin with, you should probably stick with the surface tricks while you're still learning to maintain your balance as well as control your board and navigation.

Some of the most well-known surface tricks are backside butterslide, backside butterslide 180, potato peelers, perez, powerslide, surf carve, surface 180, surface 360, and tumble turn. As you begin your wakeboarding journey, be patient with yourself because you are destined to make many mistakes.

But maybe you've got a good dose of confidence or experience and you want to get some air. Well, you could always try some board grabs and some of the simple rotational wakeboard tricks. Some wakeboarding tricks include progressive toeside edge, progressive heelside edge, heelside frontside, method grab, ollie backside, butterslides, 180s, and switching. But you should only try these out once you feel comfortable maintaining balance and control.

You can move on to something a bit more challenging and complicated once you have the simpler rotational tricks and grabs down. Intermediate riders should consider practicing some of these wakeboard tricks: tantrum, heelside off-axis 360, heelside 540, roll to revert, indy backside 180 (blind), back roll, and toeside frontside 540.

Advanced riders on the other hand can do just about anything they set their minds to. They can tackle some really notorious wakeboard tricks that include difficult moves, which could include complicated spins and inverts. These tricks are often joined up with cool grabs.

If you are an advanced rider, you should try these out: tantrum to blind, whirlybird, front flip, elephant, crow mobe, heelside mobe, and wrapped KGB. Remember, you can use your imagination to create your own wakeboard tricks.

You don't have to stick to what others have come up with. As soon as you start feeling confident and comfortable with these tricks, you're ready to advance to your next personal level.

Are you a die hard wakeboarding fan? Visit Wakeboarding Tricks and get all the Wakeboard Tricks and wakeboarding tips you need to look like a pro.

- Jessica N