I recently held a party and had a professional decorator come in and decorate. She was creating balloon center pieces for each of the tables. They looked pretty cool. One of the balloons she had filled up with helium escaped from her and went to the ceiling. (The room had 30-foot-high ceilings). I said to her, "Well, I guess that balloon is gone." She replied, "Oh no its not. Just watch." And with that she filled up another balloon with helium, attached a string to it and put doubled-sided tape on the balloon. She then let that balloon rise until it touched the lost balloon. The tape grabbed it and she was then able to pull both balloons down. I was impressed and told her so. She said that it’s an old trick of the trade in the decorating business.

Speaking of parties, there’s a really cool product that you need to use at your next party. It’s called a "Flutter Fetti Launcher." It’s basically a 3-foot-long tube that has been stuffed with streamers and confetti. A very small carbon dioxide canister is attached to the end of the tube. You turn a small valve and the confetti and streamers shoot out of the tube and go up to 40 feet in the air. You can find them at FlutterFetti. You can even specify what kind of streamers and confetti you want to use. They’re great for birthday parties, weddings and New Year’s Eve parties.

Do you know the easiest way to lose 10 pounds? Stand up straight. I’m serious, if you work on your posture you’ll look 10 pounds lighter. I had heard this tip in the past but I didn’t really believe it. I recently had a guest appearance on a TV show. When I watched the show I was shocked at how different I looked from when I was standing up straight and when I wasn’t. Here’s a tip for mothers. Instead of just harping on your kids to stand up straight, catch them slouching on video. It’s made me change my ways!

I’m on the road a lot and I’ve become very dependent on my laptop and wireless access. There’s a new product out that can boost your computer’s ability to receive wireless signals. It’s called Wi-Fire and you can find it at hField Technologies. It basically extends your wireless range up to 1,000 feet. This is three times a computer’s normal range. It costs $80.

Have you ever checked the water pressure in your house? If not, go to your nearby hardware store and buy a water pressure gauge. They usually cost less than $20. If your pressure is more than 80 PSI, you’ve got a problem and need to call a plumber. Pressures above this level can damage items in your home. The added pressure also causes you to waste water!