ThisNext Blog

Hey TNers! Its good to be back after being away for a while!

This morning getting dressed I noticed one of the costs of any good vacation: a few extra holiday pounds. Instead of freaking out and crawling into a hole I’ve decided to fight back with a list of great workout ideas that anyone can do from the comfort of their own home. There’s stuff for both men and women so there’s no excuse for not doing something!

I got really inspired to loose the holiday weight I gained and hope you do too! Whether its your new year’s resolution to get back into shape or bathing suit season is still a little daunting to you this list is here to help! Good luck and enjoy!

On Jan 20th, President Barack Obama will be the 44th president of the United States. To help celebrate this day, it is pretty necessary to buy official inauguration memorabilia. This includes, mugs, maps, books and clothing. But also, this list includes some of Obama’s favorite movies and music. Some of these include Jay-Z, The Godfather and one of the best video games ever, Pong.

Having trouble utilizing all the ThisNext Tools?? Even if you think you’ve got a handle on it, here’s a quick guide to organizing and cleaning up your profile:

TAGGING:

Tagging is important in many ways.

a) it identifies your recommended product by key words, to make it searchable on ThisNext - and in Search Engines. - which means more people can read your review and see your recommended products!
b) it helps to identify your item even if you haven’t properly clarified its use in the review section. If you’ve explained the graphic of a t-shirt in your review, but it looks like a poster - while you’re tagging it you can use “T-shirt, clothes, shirts, tees, cotton, jerseys, etc…” as keywords.

HOW TO TAG:

When making a recommendation write your title and review on the first page then make sure you go to the bottom of the review and press the (NEXT>) button and not Save & Close

This will take you to the next recommendation slide which is shown below. Be as complete as possible: for example - for one of my favorite shows - Mad Men Season 1 - I might use the tags: “Mad Men, Season 1, DVDs, DVD, DVD sets, TV Shows, AMC, TV series, Box sets, boxed set, 1960s, advertising, New York City” - you can even include keywords like the actors’ names “Jon Hamm, John Slattery, January Jones” or the types of materials it’s made with (especially for jewelry and clothes recs).

LISTS:

Lists are great ways to Categorize/Organize your Items for your reference and to help other TN users browse your profile. If you are a handmade user, especially, you might want to make a separate list with only your own handmade products. Don’t worry you can put the same item in more than one list. More Handmade Guidelines here
For instance, since Mad Men is one of my favorite shows I might want to put a check next to the box above that says My Wish List and I might put it in the list Things that make me feel girly or I might start a new list by checking off the new list box (as shown in the image above) and make a new list called “TV Shows that Rock my World” and then I can add more recommendations to that list.

Lists will show up on your front profile like this, so visitors to your profile can easily navigate through your products!

Good luck with Tagging and lists and please comment if you have questions or email me at Samantha@thisnext.com

I may not be the biggest fan of cold weather BUT if I am forced to endure snow, the best activity is by far sledding. I could literally spend hours sledding down the same hill over and over again. BUT there are some essentials to making the perfect sledding experience. You need that great sled. The kind that won’t get stuck in the snow and will go really fast. Here a list of some great options that I have found!! My favorite is def the inflatable inner tubes.

I’m approaching this post with some degree of weariness. I recognize that lighters, especially Bic-esque ones are close to the last thing people buy on the internet. Besides, I don’t smoke. So, the personal usefulness for any of these are rendered virtually useless. But at the same time, I almost always carry a lighter when I go out. You know, because other people have a need for them and no one can ever seem to track down a light — don’t worry, I’m here to save the day.

Mostly though, these personify taking something simple, keeping it simple, but also creating awesome design. So, you wanna know why a guy who doesn’t smoke is so fascinated with these lighters? Because he likes awesome design, in whatever form it comes in. In this case, it comes in cheap lighters.

If you want one? Great. You’re going to have to throw down 167 Japanese Yen or bust out the currency converter. I did the later and they come to about $1.75 USD each.

I thought I might try and cure my shopping addiction in the new year, but that is just hopeless. So the new big purchase I want is the perfect pair of boots. They go with everything and are so much easier to walk in than heels. So here is a list of just a few boots I wish to own….No obviously I need new jeans to wear with my new boots…

We all know that at the end of the year, it’s all about lists (like my last few posts). This ones no different. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite products of 2008. What I mean by “products” is not albums, not movies and not television shows (and I tried to limit the t-shirts too). What I mean by 2008 is, well, not necessarily 2008. I just found these in 2008. So, they’re ‘08 to me.

I debated the ranking system, but decided it would take to long and would basically be impossible. But, in case you’re wondering, this is my number one. You can find the entire list here, but here’s a little taste of what made the list…

Just a little over two weeks until our first Featured Handmade Designer will be declared. More awesome handmade items are already starting to sprinkle in and our community is loving it.

If you’re a handmade designer and you think you’ve got what it takes to be a Featured TN Designer (see prize bellow), then start promoting yourself today. It’s simple, really. All you have to do is recommend your items and then tag them “TN Handmade.” This will automatically enter you in the contest. The only guideline is that for every one of your products you recommend, you also recommend three other things you like — it could be music, movies, books…anything. We just want to get to know you beyond what you sell. Come January 15th, the staff is going to vote and pick their favorite designer. We have a really diverse staff here. So, it’s completely up for grabs.

Got questions? Email me at chad@thisnext.com.

THE PRIZE: First, we’re going to buy $500 worth of your products, which we will later give away to our community. Secondly, you’ll be on the banner at the top of our page for two weeks (our traffic is in the millions) and finally, you’ll be featured in a weekly newsletter. In short, we’re giving away the ultimate promo package (just for promoting yourself).

Wanna know a little bit about creating a successful profile? let us help

The year is almost over. So, there’s lots of lists floating around (you know, like the one bellow). What’s the best movie? The best album, single, book, kiss or character. I live a life fully devoted to film through DVD though. So, I’m always taken back by the fact that you never see a list of the best films released on DVD. In case, you’re wondering, no. It’s not just the best movies of the previous year. It’s much more than that. It’s been hard, but I have finally finished my list of the best DVDs of 2008.

(It reads like a book. Number one is top left and 15 is bottom right)

See more of my Top 15 Film DVD Releases of 2008 list at ThisNext.

…and what I mean by “ThisNext chooses” is that I chose them and am going to just pretend like we had some sort of communal vote or something. Inevitably, like any best of list, people will passionately agree and disagree. So, let me clarify. When I say “best of,” what I really mean is “the ones I liked the best.” Yes, I know the number one album is technically an’07 release, but hey, I’m making this list and can do whatever I want.

So, without further adieu, ThisNext — Ahem, Chad presents the Top Ten Albums of 2008:

1) Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago

2) Girl Talk: Feed the Animals

3) Evangelicals: The Eveneing Descends

4) Of Montreal: Skeleton Lamping

5) MGMT: Oracular Spectacular

6) Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes

7) TV on the Radio: Dear Science

8) Welcome Wagon: Welcome to the Welcome Wagon

9) Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend

10) Conor Oberst: Conor Oberst

See more of my Best Albums of 2008 list at ThisNext.

How was my holiday? Oh, it was great. Thanks for asking. The most exciting part, however, was spent reuniting myself with a lost love. Yes, I’m talking about the HBO comedy, Entourage. Unknowingly making a huge mistake, I stopped watching this one after two seasons. Over the break though, my dad got me back into it and it’s all smiles from there. It has to be one of the funniest shows on television and you would be hard pressed to find any guy who doesn’t dream about being one of these guys. Without question though, Viewer Discretion is definitely advised.

Out of respect for my new old love, I think a list is in order.

all the crazy recommending this holiday season has led me to see some pretty damn cool schwag. i was so impressed by what i’ve been seeing lately i thought a few of the best ones should get a TN nod from me. here is my “best of” list. its a smorgasbord of funny, cool or just silly things i found on user pages. great recommending guys!

In about a week we will all be counting down to ring in 2009!!! But before that can happen, you must prepare yourself with all the New Years Eve essentials, decorations and party favors. New Years Eve cannot be complete without silly party hats, noisemakers and appropriate drinking glasses. So once you have your great outfit and the perfect party to go to, don’t forget to bring the basic new years essentials!

So you’re going home for the Holidays and there’s likely to be a lot of downtime. You could veg out on the couch and numb your brains with TV and movies and infomercials, OR you could play some rad, mind-engaging games with your family. Most of the games on this list involve a bit of strategy and are not your average game of chance, but I’ve included a few that we all know and love already.

I’m going to be straight with you and give you my favorites to start off your list:
Aquire - it’s a game of stocks and merging,
Power Grid - pretty complicated but really engaging once you figure it out,
Scattergories - the best word game out there - in my opinion,
Cranium is a fun party game that is good for both creative and brainy people!

I urge you to go out there and start your own game closet!

It is that time of the year where everyone around you seems to have a pink nose and a horse voice….FLU SEASON! While everyone suffers through this terrible terrible time period there are some ways to make it a little more manageable. Soup is the first obvious solution. Solid food seems impossible to eat so now is the time to load up on your favorite brand of chicken noodle soup!! Also, being sick provides you the opportunity to catch up on all those movies you’ve been wanting to see. So while you are glued to your bed, here is a list of way to make it more enjoyable!

since its cold enough now to have to put our leggings away *tear*. the best replacement for them i can think of is skinny jeans. but, i’m just not a fan of plain, boring old blue jeans so i when on a mission to find fabulous skinny jeans in any color but denim blue. i got red ones, brown ones, funky ones, crazy one and even one pair of silly ones. yeah…i went a little over board. but, all’s fair in love and fashion right? enjoy. :o)

So as an aunt, I feel like I need to get the perfect holiday gift for my niece. BUT I have no IDEA what that means at all. I’ve spent hours in Target looking at stuffed animals, learning toys and books but I still can’t decide what to get her. Really I know she won’t even remember this gift in the long run, but I still want it to be great! So here is a list of what I have narrowed down my options to!

That Sam-I-am!
I do not like that Sam-I-am!

Do you like Scorpion Whiskey?

I do not like them, Sam-I-am. I do not like Pregnant Crickets.

Would you like them here or there?

I would not like them here or there. I would not like them anywhere.
I do not like Baked Tarantula. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Would you like them in a house? Would you like them with a mouse?

I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like Hornet Honey. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Would you eat them in a box? Would you eat them with a fox?

Not in a box. Not with a fox. Not in a house. Not with a mouse.
I would not eat them here or there. I would not eat them anywhere.
I would not eat Cobra Wine. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

Would you? Could you? In a car? Eat them! Eat them! Here they are.

I would not, could not, in a car.

You may like them. You will see. You may like them in a tree!

I would not, could not in a tree. Not in a car! You let me be.

I do not like them in a box. I do not like them with a fox.
I do not like them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere.
I do not like BBQ Worm Crisps. I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

A train! A train! A train! A train! Could you, would you, on a train?

Not on a train! Not in a tree! Not in a car! Sam! Let me be!

Would you, could you, on a boat?

I could not, would not, on a boat. I will not, will not, with a goat.
I will not eat them in the rain. I will not eat them on a train.
Not in the dark! Not in a tree! Not in a car! You let me be!
I do not like them in a box. I do not like them with a fox.
I will not eat them in a house. I do not like them with a mouse.
I do not like them here or there. I do not like them ANYWHERE!

I do not like Reindeer Pate! I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

You do not like them. So you say. Try them!
Try them! And you may. TRY THEM AND YOU MAY, I SAY…