No longer restricted to weddings and baby showers, online gift registries—perhaps the best way to avoid those dud presents—have become common for other birthdays, graduations and the holidays too.

MyRegistry.com, a universal gift registry site that is now in its seventh year, lets users register for gifts at a multitude of stores instead of just choosing a few. The company has had registries that include as many as 10 different stores with requests ranging from a puppy to a private island.

Based upon their review of hundreds of thousands of users, MyRegistry has released the list of the top 10 hottest gifts of 2011 for three different gift occasions. And while many of those coveted gifts were created by big companies like Lenox, a few were the work of entrepreneur-started companies, like the Puj Tub from the company Puj —started by a couple who wanted better designed products for their children— and the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones by Monster.

One other interesting note: the Apple iPad, apparently becoming a household essential, is No. 10 on the wedding registry list.

Top 10 Wedding Registry Items

3. Calphalon cookware sets

4. OXO POP storage containers, 10-piece set

5. OXO Everyday Kitchen Tool Set, 15-piece set

6. Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender

7. SodaStream Jet Starter Kit

8. Keurig coffee maker

9. Wusthof Gourmet 12-piece knife set

Top 10 Baby Registry Items

1. Bob Revolution Stroller

2. Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller

3. Sophie the Giraffe Natural Teether

4. Skip Hop diaper bags

6. Peg Perego Primo Viaggio car seat

7. Skip Hop Treetop Friends Activity Gym

10. Chicco KeyFit infant car seat and base

Top 10 Lifestyle Registry Items

1. Apple iPad and iPad accessories

2. Monster Beats headphones

4. Nintendo 3DS console

7. Fitness clothing and equipment

8. Kindle and other e-readers

Teresa Novellino writes for Portfolio.com

<a href="http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/executive-style/2012/01/10/myregistry-reveals-what-consumers-wanted-as-gifts-in-2011?ana=from_rsstag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/executive-style/2012/01/10/myregistry-reveals-what-consumers-wanted-as-gifts-in-2011?ana=from_rssWed, 11 Jan 2012 07:09:52 GMT”>What Gift-Seekers Wanted in 2011

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The Sports Illustrated cover curse (and a thorough 49ers’ offense) knocked out Drew Brees and the Saints yesterday. Golden boy Tim TEBOW! (I think his name now is trademarked to be in all caps with an exclamation point) was reminded that Goliath usually beats David. And I believe there was a game earlier today between Houston and Baltimore. But all of that gridiron action was merely the prelude to the main attraction today: the New York Giants’ trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The talk, at least among the East Coast media elite, is the comparisons to the Giants’ last Super Bowl run. If you read between the lines, it’s almost as if they think a stop at Lambeau is merely a chance to warm up for the conference championship. Statistics and a previous meeting between the two would indicate otherwise. In case you’re new to this matchup, the Packers beat the Giants on a last-second field goal in December. The high-scoring shootout featured the best of each team. New York can run the ball successfully against the Packers, while Aaron Rodgers showed that his arm should be dipped in gold.

So what does that mean for today? I’ll give you a brief takeaway, but if you’ve got a few minutes to spare, read Aditi Kinkhabwala’s breakdown

<a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/01/15/nfl-playoffs-live-blog-new-york-giants-vs-green-bay-packers/?mod=google_news_blogtag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2012/01/15/nfl-playoffs-live-blog-new-york-giants-vs-green-bay-packers/?mod=google_news_blogSun, 15 Jan 2012 22:41:21 GMT”>NFL Playoffs Live Blog: Giants-Packers

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There are many ways to make your smartphone battery last longer. You can put your phone in airplane mode so it stops searching for a signal, switch the vibrate function off, avoid using battery-draining features such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS, or turn off the phone’s backlight. You can also simply switch off the phone. Too much trouble? If you don’t want to be constantly on the lookout for an electrical outlet, there’s a solution: smartphone cases that double as a back-up batteries.

<a href="http://www.consumersearch.com/blog/and-so-it-begins-underwhelming-and-misleading-black-friday-deals-at-searstag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.consumersearch.com/blog/and-so-it-begins-underwhelming-and-misleading-black-friday-deals-at-searsSat, 05 Nov 2011 14:43:39 GMT”>And so it begins: Underwhelming and misleading Black Friday “deals” at Sears

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Gold’n Plump is offering consumers a chance to win $10,000 in solid gold in its Gold’n Plump Chicken Challenge sweepstakes.

Through December 11, specially marked packages of the St. Cloud, Minn.-based Gold’n Plump’s chicken will feature promotional codes that customers can enter online to unlock “chickenality” characters such as Rocky the Gameday Chicken and Kate the Healthy Chicken, who deliver a recipe tailored to their chicken personality. Participants also will be eligible to win weekly prizes including a Weber Grill, Delsey Luggage, $250 Party City gift card, KitchenAid Mixer, Breville Juicer or Toaster Oven, Amazon Kindle, Nikon camera and other giveaways.

Each code entered goes into the grand prize drawing for $10,000 in real gold, which will be held in December 2011.

For more information, or to submit promotional codes, visit goldnplump.com/goldn-chicken-challenge.cfm.

<a href="http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/fresh-food/id33903/goldn-plump-challenges-chicken-connoisseurs/tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.progressivegrocer.com/top-stories/headlines/fresh-food/id33903/goldn-plump-challenges-chicken-connoisseurs/Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:37:03 GMT 00:00″>Gold'n Plump Challenges Chicken Connoisseurs

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Some kitchen appliances come with a host of features that never get used. The allure of versatility in the kitchen being what it is, the inclusion of suspect features will never go out of style. But when that added versatility does shine, so often it is when attachments are involved. Even those that store away in a plain canvas bag.

The KitchenAid 9-Speed Architect Series KHM920 Hand Mixer features the usability that has long made hand mixers staples of the kitchen. Turning up the versatility, this model provides attachments that extend the usefulness of the one gadget. Along with two standard beaters that anyone would recognize, the unit also ships with a dough hook, a whisk and an immersion attachment for use in liquids. The accessories all store away conveniently in an included canvas bag.

In use, the hand mixer provides advanced operation. In addition to the nine power levels, a soft start feature reduces splatter, while an integrated sensor automatically adjusts for batter thickness, providing smooth operation with no bogging down. Rounding out the features that take this common kitchen tool to the next level, the hand mixer features a lockable swiveling power cord as well as an LED screen to easily determine settings. The attachments may all store away in a bag, but with an accessible design for a classic kitchen companion, the hand mixer is sure to often see the light of day.

<a href="http://www.cnet.com/8301-13553_1-20107592-32/hand-mixer-takes-it-to-the-next-level/tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.cnet.com/8301-13553_1-20107592-32/hand-mixer-takes-it-to-the-next-level/Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:33:01 GMT 00:00″>Hand mixer takes it to the next level

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No need to be overwhelmed. While the stuff is admittedly delicious, it’s also quite simple: Aioli is basically garlic mayonnaise, made with olive oil.

See, that wasn’t so bad.

Even better? You can make it. Easily. In a blender, no less.

Since aioli is basically mayonnaise with a couple extra ingredients, you can consider this recipe a twofer: With it you can make homemade mayonnaise or aioli, depending on the ingredients you add.

Mayonnaise itself is deceivingly simple. Mayo – and I mean the real stuff, not that goop you find in tubs – is basically egg yolk, mustard, lemon juice and vegetable oil that have been blended to kingdom come to form a permanent emulsion. An emulsion happens when you take ingredients that usually don’t play nice together (i.e., oil and lemon juice or vinegar) and make them form into one delicious, velvety substance. Mayo is not only a standard on sandwiches, but acts as a base for countless other recipes such as salad dressings and tartar sauce.

Aioli is often made with olive oil only. To shave costs, I use half olive oil, half canola, but if you’re overflowing with extra-virgin olive oil, use the good stuff. If you want plain mayo with a more neutral flavor, skip the olive oil and just use vegetable oil such as canola.

If you make mayo by hand, literally, the hard part is the whisking. Try making the amount you’d find in a store-bought container, and you’ll have to whisk so hard and for so long that you’ll think your arm will fall off. Thankfully, you probably already have a machine or two in the kitchen that can do it for you.

While a mixer such as a KitchenAid is an obvious choice, there’s also another that can whip up mayo in seconds, and that’s the blender. And you only thought it was good for making margaritas and smoothies. (A food processor can also do the job.)

Making mayo or its sibling aioli in a blender is a snap. We’ll just add some ingredients, and with the flick of a switch, we’ll be seconds away from homemade bliss. One word before we dive it: Mayo is made with raw eggs, which, however small a chance, can carry the risk of salmonella or other nasties. I recommend using pasteurized eggs in this recipe.

With that fine print out of the way, let’s whip up some spread.

Super Easy Blender Aioli

Yield:

• 1 large pasteurized egg
• 1 teaspoon regular or Dijon mustard
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup olive oil, with more on standby if needed