Photo books are a great way to organize and present your favorite photos. Basically you can have your favorite family digital photos published into a professional looking hardcover book or any other format you desire! Here’s a promo code for MyPublisher.com, a provider of such services.

MyPublisher.com promo code= HOL2550. You can get 50% off all orders over $100 and 25% over orders over $50.

You can also make calendars and greeting cards in addition to the bound digital photo books.  All the products including the photo books are very easy to create, and they provide free software with templates to customize your projects. These make a great holiday gift for loved ones that will be truly unique and treasured for a lifetime. Enjoy!

Gotta love Costco and their discounts! I was happily surprised about their sale on 4 Gig Compact Flash memory card for DSLR’s, which are $15 off this week. No coupon needed! That brings the total to just $27.99 pre-tax for a 4 Gig Sandisk CF card- crazy discount! The offer is only available in stores, not online. Here’s a tip: many Costco’s in the LA area are not putting the 4 Gig card out on display, so you have to go ask Merchandise Pickup if they have it in stock. Not sure why this is, maybe the Compact Flash deal is too good to share!

Click here for a 20% any one item coupon. Don’t forget to print it out!

Enjoy!

Update: in case you missed the opportunity to download this, just email me [admin @ guide2thegoodlife.com] or leave a comment and I can give you a copy. (remove spaces from email address)

Photo byViv | Seattle Bon Vivant at Flickr

I feel so lucky to live in Los Angeles. We have great weather and a plentiful supply of red velvet cake. Bakeries that offer this absurdly bright sweet are almost guaranteed to attract droves of Angelenos. I’ve eaten my fair share of red velvet in its various forms. Here is my analysis and ode to red velvet. So where is the best red velvet in LA?

Susie Cakes

11708 San Vicente Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90189 (310) 442-2253 www.susiecakesla.com

Photo by Caroline on Crack at Flickr

The texture of this cake reminds me of boxed cake mix, all air and no substance. But some people might like this airy sponge cake factor and find it refreshing. I find it feeble. And the color is absurdly bright red, like a fire engine. When frosted, the cupcake can barely support itself and it almost topples over. The frosting is rather hard compared to the cake. Nay on the cupcake version. But I give it a green light in the full cake version because they stratify the placement of cake with multiple layers of frosting, which gives the illusion of heft and substance. But then you are eating almost a 75:25 ratio of cake to frosting. Ok to eat once in a while, and works well for crowds (because a small piece is sweet enough to satisfy due to frosting overload).

Sprinkles

9635 S Santa Monica Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 274-8765 www.sprinklescupcakes.com

I don’t get it. The line is still around the door. But I just don’t get it. There are better bakeries out there. I find their cakes a little dry and crummy for my tastes. I didn’t even get the sense of red velvet when I was eating their cupcake. The icing was a bit on the hard side, kind of like toothpaste that has been out of the tube too long. Ew. Maybe it was an off day for this bakery or maybe I was accidentally given a day old red velvet. I suppose I will give them another shot. But as of now, I recall that the red velvet cupcakes for which they are “famous” for was a bit on the brown side and the flavor was pretty ambiguous. Does it make sense to say it taste like air? Like nothingness? I suggest you walk down the street to Crumbs and try one of their cupcakes. Much more tasty. Unfortunately, they don’t make red velvet.

*Update: Rachel tells me the Sprinkles Packaged Cupcake mix is much better. I’ll have to try it and let you know what I think!

Doughboy’s

1156 Highland Ave Los Angeles, CA 90028 (323) 467-9117 www.doughboys.net

Photo by jleighb on Flickr

No wonder this is Oprah’s favorite. It is decadent and divine! The cake comes 6 inches in diameter, meant for sharing (or eating along when feeling uber-gluttonous). If you love frosting then you will enjoy the almost 1 inch thick slab of it, and it is very very sweet, with a whipped consistency, but you almost need it to be this way to stand up to the cake. Omg. That was my first reaction when biting into this cake. It is unlike all the other red velvets out there. The cake is so dense and so moist, polar opposite of Susie Cakes. Some people might find the cake a little on the oily side, but that is why it is so moist. The color is a beautiful burgundy from the combination of red coloring and cocoa. You really can’t have just one bite.

Toast

8221 W 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90048 (323) 655-5018 www.toastbakerycafe.net

Photo by dana w. on Yelp.com

My Favorite at last. I am secretly happy that Doughboy’s across the street has closed down and now Toast can rightfully claim the red velvet market that is theirs! This cupcake version of red velvet is my favorite because they have achieved a harmonious balance between all elements of the cake, that sticks to a very traditional recipe (rather than trying to do a “modern” take on the red velvet, as most of the other bakeries mentioned do). The cake is moist, fluffy, but yet substantial with a stronger, yet not overpowering, cocoa flavor aftertaste. The cream cheese frosting is exactly as I image the perfect frosting to be: gooey and creamy, with that buttery mouth feel. Both the cake and frosting are not too sweet, which makes it easier to eat much more of this (hehe).

Sorry Sparklett’s, move over! You might want to reconsider the kind of water you drink, if you don’t want to be judged. Think of the bottled water you carry as a portable a status symbol. And the most extravagant of all waters is Bling h20. If you like Lamborghini’s and sporting ice around your neck (but can’t necessarily afford it), this could be the next best thing for you. The rest of you,are probably thinking you must be kidding me…

Bling H20 is touted a “couture water” by the company’s founder, Kevin G. Boyd, who envisions the brand as the “Cristal” of bottled waters. Bottles of Bling H2O have been spotted along side Grey Goose during table service at the hottest clubs in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. This pairing sort of makes sense. You are drinking a $200+ bottle of liquor and you get tap to wash it down? I don’t think so…

The frosted bottle is adorned with Swarovski crystals to spell out the brand name. You can get different colors too, “collector’s editions”. Pretty flashy. Costs about $40 for a 750 mL bottle. If you want a more portable version, go for the $20 350 mL bottle.
But does it taste good? The water won a gold medal for best tasting spring water at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Festival. Wow, an honor of a lifetime. Who the heck attends that event?! But the water does use a nine step purification process which includes ozone, ultraviolet and micro filtration.

With price, prestige, and taste: Bling H2O attempts to blow Fuji and Voss out of the water.

For more info, visit www.blingh2o.com

Now open is the Bling H20 flagship boutique in Beverly Hills: 9885 Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills

For the Carnivore whose only food group is “meat”:

It’s time to graduate from their George Foreman grill. Get them a “smokefree” indoor grill with enough wattage and heat intensity to give their meat a good sear and actually brown (unlike that weird grayish tone that G.Foreman grilled meats tend to take on). This grill is very easy to use and clean, meat lovers will surely use this everyday. No more need for pots, pans, or even serving dishes–this little gadget cooks up everything so deliciously that the food won’t even make it to a plate.
Indoor Grill $39.95 with free shipping! at Shop the Good Life

For Someone Who thinks they Know Everything

Trivia buffs will thoroughly enjoy these books by former Vogue food editor and frequent Iron Chef judge Jeffrey Steingarten. This man takes his gastronomic quests very far as he searches the world for the best or most authentic versions of global cuisine. Each quest is a scientific and gluttonous case study, which he obsessively probes to the most precise details. For example, Steingarten asserts that espresso must be made with a specific amount of atmospheric pressure, or else the cup is all but ruined! Do you know what this amount is? Leave a comment if you are one of the enlightened ones!

Books by Jeffrey Steingarten $10.85 each @ Shop the Good Life.

For Friends with a Sweet Tooth:

Candies and chocolates are a safe default gift because everyone loves them! But after receiving multiple holiday baskets (aka the 10 lb corporate plague), the concepts gets a little old. To keep things interesting, give an assortment of imported Japanese sweets that are both intruiging and tasty!
Japanese Sweets Assortment $37.58 at Shop the Good Life

For the Alcoholic Friend (we all have one, ha!)

I kid, I kid! Public Service Announcement: Alcoholism is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly. But for those of you that can handle your liquor responsibly, an at home brewery kit is a pretty novel gift. Chances are, even someone with everything has never received something this. This gift has the initial wow factor and can lead to good times down the road. Wouldn’t it be awesome to break out a bottle of your own lager at the next barbecue?

Beer Making Kit $29.99 at Shop the Good Life.

For the Corporate Slave (akaCaffeine Addict)

Enjoying (or maybe tolerating–for those of you that have seen the light and switched to espresso) a few cups of drip coffee during the day are one of the few creature comforts that are socially acceptable, and encouraged, to bring to work. Sorry, I know your boss is mean, but please leave the security blanket at home. I really hate how my cup goes cold just a few minutes after I get it all nice and steamy. Solution: a cup warmer that keeps the mug and it’s contents nice and toasty. Might seem a bit superfluous, but I can assure you than any overworked employee will welcome this gift with open arms.

Mug Warmer $14.95 @ Shop the Good Life

For the Frequent Traveler

They love to travel but hate to live out of a suitcase. Help them organize their necessities in a stylish and useful way with washable travel bags labeled for their particular purpose.

Travel Bags $10.19 at Shop the Good Life

For the Hostess with the Mostess:

Entertainers out there love to wine and dine their guests, but many fear that awkwardness that can result from the botched opening of a wine bottle. Have no fear, an automatic wine opener is here. Makes an excellent conversation piece as well and looks so snazzy.

Automatic Wine Opener $29.99 at Shop the Good Life.

Good luck to everyone with their last minute holiday shopping!

As a convenient service to our readers, you can purchase many of the items featured in this blog at Shop the Good Life. We have tried our best to handpick the most interesting, unique, and useful products of interest to our readers. New items are added regularly, check back often for weekly updates to our product lines.

If you already have an Amazon.com account, you can use that same login for check out at Shop the Good Life. And many items qualify for free shipping. Get all your holiday shopping done at one stop at: Shop the Good Life.

If we do not currently carry something you are looking for, you can browse all goods carried by Amazon.com by clicking on the link to their main site in the upper left hand corner of Shop the Good Life.

If you have any comments, suggestions, or requests for new products to carry, please leave a comment below. Thanks and happy shopping!