Obsession of the Day: Get Your Movie Night On With A Roku Digital Video Player

As someone who is out covering events at least four nights a week minimum and writing every other time (blogs never sleep), I can honestly say that I very rarely have time to watch movies or DVDs, but good luck removing me from my couch when I do. Like all of you, the minute I get a chance to chill out and relax, I completely unplug with whatever has come in from my Netflix queue and catch up on documentaries, comedies and whatever else struck my fancy. Has anyone else had a movie arrive where you wonder how many glasses of wine you had to drink to put that title in your queue? Just me? Fine, be that way.

What if I told you there was a way to view all those "Watch Instantly" movies in your queue right on your television without even having to plug in your laptop? Introduced to me by Robert Verdi last year, I've just hooked up (and am now hooked on) the Roku Digital Video Player, a device that streams your Netflix queue to your tv via your wireless internet. The quality of the programming is just as good as that of a DVD, and it has the same abilities to rewind, fast forward and pause. I just finished plowing through Season Two of Showtime's The Tudors. It was Magic Time.

Best of all? Your Netflix movies that aren't instant watch just keep arriving at your house! It's like a cornucopia of movies and entertainment for your free time. The only thing that would make this situation perfect is if a massage therapist and a nail tech magically pop out and give me spa treatments while I chill out to The September Issue. Maybe throw in a personal chef?

You can also do other things with a Roku player that I'm discovering and loving: play Pandora radio, buy and watch movies from Amazon.com. Your husband/boyfriend might fight you for the remote, though: the player also plays MLB.tv (Major League Baseball, sports fans) and NBA Game Time. If the NFL shows up on this thing in the fall, I might never leave the house again on a Sunday.

Let's be honest here: outside of True Blood and Entourage, summer television is a wasteland. I'm planning on creating my own little summer programming schedule with my Roku player so I'm not completely annoyed. That is, after I clean out my recent crop of movies. Which will take me....well, all summer.


Roku Digital Video Player ($79.99 - $129.99), available via their online store

Epic and Fabulous Giveaway: Win A Pair of Audio Chi Headphones!

You all have heard me continually raving about my audiophile staple, the genius Audio Chi W-5 Headphones. Seriously, you will never hear music the same way again and you really won't want to do such a thing (and really, why would you want to do that?).  Well, so many of you have inquired about where to get said headphones, how much they cost, are they available in the US yet that I've not only tried to get them to move everything to the US for you but I've been afraid to leave my own pair around for fear that someone will jack them. Oh yes, they're just THAT GOOD.

The lovely folks across the pond at Audio Chi have declined my offer to set up their headquarters in my apartment but they have made me an offer I can't refuse: a giveaway of a FREE PAIR OF THEIR AMAZING HEADPHONES! Oh yes, exclusive to Fashion.Style.Beauty followers ONLY, I will select one winner this Monday, January 18th and they will receive the style of their choice, shipped directly to them all the way from the UK. Let me say that again: your choice of their amazing headphones shipped directly to your humble abode, where you will be the envy of all your friends. You will want to rediscover your entire music collection once you use them, I am so not kidding.

How do you enter this fabulous contest? First, this contest is open to followers of Fashion.Style.Beauty ONLY. You must leave me a comment below and tell me what album you will enjoy rediscovering with these amazing headphones (retail value is $115 US). I will select a winner at random this Monday and announce the name in a post. It's just that easy.

Good luck and enter to win NOW!

Parties with Style: The Lips Karaoke Video Game

I get invited to do a lot of really fun things writing for FSB and when someone says "karaoke" and "snacks," my frustrated inner rock star starts planning her arrival. I recently attended an event where I was offered a chance to check out the video game Lips (available for Xbox 360 and Wii) and let me just go ahead and say it: you need it. I don't care if you can sing, if you can't sing or if you're secretly planning your stadium tour in your head: this video game is a party in a box. Invite a couple of friends over and show off your insanely fabulous shower singing skills while serving beverages and snacks and you'll see exactly what I mean.

This ain't your mama's karaoke experience with song and a bouncing ball on plain lyric screens. Oh no, we've got the ability to sing over the real MTV quality video, create an avatar and get scored based on how well you sing the song. The song list includes Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, Kayne West, Tokio Hotel and some good classic favorites from Marvin Gaye, LL Cool J, The Cardigans and Tears for Fears. You can sing Rihanna and your grandmother can sing a Beach Boys song. This is fun for the whole group and there's something in it for everyone.

Lips comes with two microphones and the video included. I'm telling you right now that if you get this for your holiday party (or even as a gift for someone), it is guaranteed to please. Head to your local GameStop or hit Amazon.com now and buy yours today.

A warning if you invite me, though: I'm a little too competitive when it comes to things like this and I might wreck your hotel room in true rock star style. I'm just kidding...kind of.

Attention Audiofiles: Audio Chi Headphones Will Blow You Away

As you can probably guess by all the video clips I post on this site, I am an audiophile. I adore music and I really love it when I can listen to my music in crisp, recording studio and/or live performance quality. Which is why after testing them this morning, I am now telling all of you who have iPods or devices that require headphones to RUN, DON'T WALK to get these new headphones from Audio Chi right this minute.

The pamphlet that comes with the headphones says, "Sound this good has never been available in headphones this small" and they are soooo not kidding. I rolled through my iTunes list this morning and I have to say it's the first time in a really long time that every single song sounded like its original recording quality. I could practically hear the sound engineer in the booth on some of these songs, the quality is so good. Plus, on the fashionable side, the headphones come in great colors and with a slick carrying bag and detachable cables for storage. They're lightweight, super comfortable and work with literally every portable audio device. Love.

Audio Chi has now launched e-commerce here in the United States and as someone who has tried and tested her own pair, I highly recommend you get your own. This is a great present for the music lover in your life, especially if that means you get them for yourself. I have the W5 model (shown, $109.95) and I looove them. :)

Check out these fabulous headphones on their website. You'll never listen to music the same way - or look as good doing it - again.

Too Busy to Live? Try the Lip Stamp

We've all had those moments where we've been rushing out the door and realize that we've forgotten our keys, our earrings, mascara or lipstick. We've got a fun little device for you if you're looking to speed up that beauty routine: the Lip Stamp ($24.95).

No, we're not kidding. This ingenious invention comes with multiple lip-shaped pads to match your mouth or particular look. Just pluck off a pad (be sure to match the size of the stamp to your mouth shape and size), stick it on the pedestal, cover it in lipstick and press to your mouth like a stamp (we suggest rolling it from left to right to get full coverage.) Dab off any little excess and off you go! We used it on the way to an event the other day and we have to admit: it's a neat little trick. We're keeping ours saturated with our favorite lipstick and right next to our keys.