The Most Obnoxious Household Pest

The award for Most Obnoxious Household Pest (in my opinion) goes to the fruit fly. They multiply before your eyes, get in your face, and are impossible to kill due to their small size. I just recently moved into a new apartment, and who knows how the first few fruit flies got in, but they did, and now I have a borderline infestation of red-eyed nuisances. Quickly I turned to the coveted Pinterest to uncover a way to get rid of these flies, and thought I would share with you an affordable method I discovered that has worked to kill 7 fruit flies so far (it's sad to think there were that many in my house, not to mention the near 10 I killed on my own!).

Here is what you need:

1. Mason Jar(s) - multiple jars if the problem has spread to multiple rooms
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
3. Dish Soap 

That's it! So chances are if you haven't just moved into an empty apartment like me, you may already have these things on hand, and if not, these things are super cheap to come by!  All you have to do is pour some apple cider vinegar and dish soap into the mason jar and mix it together - simple, right? Anyway, there's tons of other methods out there, and some relatively decorative jars that make fly trapping quite discrete, but if you're looking for something quick, cheap, and easy, the apple cider vinegar and dish soap trick is pretty handy! Another fun find for y'all!

Happy Friday everybody!

My doctor says I need glasses... so I drink wine!

Great pun from an eye doc, right?

As I sip on my delightfully tasty wine (that was delivered right to my door), I need to share an amazing find with you guys: Bright Cellars! This website is such a brilliant idea that came from the minds of wine lovers out of MIT. The concept: use science and chemistry to match quality wines to your taste preferences. You see, I've never been much of a wine connoisseur. I tend to stay with what I know because it's safe, and I don't have to worry if the wine in question is too much of something (too dry, too bitter, too sweet, etc.). However, I have always loved the idea of branching out. Bright Cellars, in my opinion, has the BEST method for trying new wines. So how does it work, you ask? Well, think of it like a cross between Pandora Radio and a wine club, but way cooler!

Basically, you get started by taking a quiz about your preferences on food, drink, and social activities. Based on your responses, the website will generate four wines that you would probably like. The four wines get shipped to your door for $15/bottle - which is a steal for quality wines from France and Italy (No Barefoot wines here!). After you have received your wines, you can go onto the website to rate the wines and write comments about them. Based on those responses, you will receive four more wines the next month that you would probably like (now do you see the Pandora Radio analogy?).

I have attached some screen shots below that will give you an idea of how the website works. If you're interested (which how could you NOT be?!) visit www.brightcellars.com to get the full experience yourself. I guarantee you won't regret it. Happy sipping ;).  

How do you like my NC State web browser?! ;) Don't forget to stop by www.brightcellars.com if you are intrigued.