According to a recent study, while an impressive 71% of men are now doing at least some of the grocery shopping, they’re not necessarily getting better at it. For instance, if they can’t find a certain item, they generally won’t look for substitutes. They tend to get overwhelmed when faced with a lot of choices. And they’re about as likely to ask for help finding products as they are to ask for directions. To make it easier for your mate, hand him a grocery list with lots of details—such as the size, brand and flavor you want, and even where the items are in the store. And be sure to include alternatives in case the product you want isn’t on the shelf.

[photo: Ollie Crafoord]

Heads up, pancakes lovers: On Tuesday, February 23, IHOP restaurants are offering customers a complimentary stack to help celebrate Pancake Day—an annual holiday that began hundreds of years ago as a way to use up milk and eggs before fasting for Lent. Simply show up between 7 am and 10 am and you’ll be treated to three yummy buttermilk biscuits in return for a donation of any amount to support local children’s hospitals.  

Did you know? Pancakes are brain food! That’s the news from Tufts University researchers who found that folks who cut out carbohydrates—like those found in pancakes—from their diet had foggier memories and slower reaction times than those who ate the same number of calories, but without carbs. And for good reason: Carbohydrates provide the brain with glucose, its primary source of fuel.

[photo: srqpix]

On February 14, revelers around the globe will celebrate the Chinese New Year, which ushers in the year of the Tiger, one of the 12 animals that represent the Chinese zodiac. And, according to ancient tradition, this means we’re in store for a year that sees continued economic recovery, but will also usher in unexpected changes. Keep your eyes open—you’re also likely to get the chance to jump on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this year!

[photo: ahisgett]

Pleasevisitme.com not only sends your friend an invitation on your behalf, it also sends a list of the least expensive flights to you. Simply type in both your and your friend’s name, email addresses and closest airports and the website does the rest.

[photo: John Beagle]

At birthdaydialer.com, you can send a serenade of Happy Birthday or eight other birthday-themed songs to someone’s phone at no cost. Simply enter the song recipient’s phone number (no numbers are ever stored) and in moments their phone will ring. When they pick up, they’ll hear your special birthday tune!

[photo: Hassan & Mariko]

A recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll shows that one in five of us believe we have the power to affect the outcome of the Super Bowl! How? By doing things that bring our favorite team good luck—such as wearing a certain hat or jersey—or  by avoiding things that can jinx the team we’re rooting for—like wearing the opposing team’s colors.

[photo: Beau B]

Sure, it’s great to have a webcam. But, what if no one’s around to talk to on Skype or pals don’t have webcams to video chat with you? Turn to sendshots.com, a free website that makes emailing video messages effortless. Simply log on, register for a free account, then press record (the website detects your webcam automatically). You have 10 minutes to do  whatever you want on camera, for instance, give an update of your day, sing happy birthday, offer well wishes, you name it. When you’re done, press stop, then enter one or more email addresses where you want the video delivered. It’ll be sent immediately.

[photo: The U.S. Army]

How? Simply use it in January. Thanks to deeply discounted sales at stores that need to make room for spring merchandise, your gift card can have 25% to 50% more buying power than at any other time of year, according to research at the Purdue Retail Institute at Purdue University. That means a $100 gift card can get you about $150 worth of merchandise!

[photo: Marc from Borft]

Have food leftover from past meals? You can avoid wasting dishes that are still edible and eating those that have turned into biohazards by heading to stilltasty.com. There you’ll find out how long you can safely store chicken casserole, egg salad, soup and other leftovers in the refrigerator and freezer.

[photo: Sarah G...]

Going to an event where you need to make the best impression—like an office party, networking event or high school reunion—and the music is blaring? Then keep in mind this recent discovery from behavioral scientists at the Université de Bretagne-Sud in France: Loud music makes you drink more alcohol and drink it faster. The proof: When the researchers  randomly turned the music volume up from 72 decibels (as loud as a vacuum cleaner) to 88 decibels (as loud as a kitchen blender) at a bar and monitored the drinking behavior of patrons, they found that when the music was lower, people took 14.5 minutes to finish an eight-ounce glass of beer, but when the music was loud, people drained their glass in just 11.5 minutes—and then ordered one more.  The researchers theorize that loud music makes us more excited, which leads to drinking faster. Plus, it makes it harder to have a conversation, so we’re more likely to focus more on sipping than gabbing.

[photo: kerryvaughan]