Great, you just got an enormous flat screen TV worthy of Sunday’s Superbowl party, but your living room is now dominated by electronics and looks like a bachelor pad. If you’re experiencing this common pre-Superbowl dilemma, a few “techorating” tips will help give you your living room back.

Doug Wilson, who’s “doable” decorating ideas you love, has come up with easy ways to make electronics mesh with your home decor. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Try painting the wall behind your flat screen a darker shade—like a charcoal gray—to help the black frame blend in.

Add space and streamline the look and feel of the room by opting for a table-top or simple wall-mounted flat screen TV.

Don’t let your flat screen be the only thing on the wall—fill out the space with pictures in high-gloss frames to mimic the TVand achieve balance and symmetry.

Fill in the space below your TV by adding a credenza underneath, to get extra space for DVDs and remotes, while also drawing the eye into a larger design.

You’ve got a couple of days before the big game, try these tips and let me know how it goes. If you're still shopping for a new flat screen, check out companies like LG who are designing models with ”invisible” speakers and color accents that will help integrate a new TV into your well-decorated home.

Enjoy,
Rachel

Ever heard of a porcelain pillow – you know, the kind used in ancient China to support the neck but protect intricate geisha hairstyles? It sounds pretty uncomfortable to me - but a pillow infused with soothing oils to relieve cold congestion, or a “water pillow” with a relaxing thermal water-filled pouch, now those are things I’d like to try out. If you’re planning a trip and want to experiment with sleep, check out Conrad Hotels, which are offering guests an interesting variety of pillows to enhance and deepen sleep. And hey, if you like their organic buckwheat pillow, or fall in love with a fragranced romance pillow, I want to hear all about it.

Rachel

You might be planning to use your heart-shaped cake pans and pretty red plates to serve up something special for Valentine’s Day next month, but here is a way to reach beyond your kitchen to make the holiday extra-special.

Soldier's Angels, a non-profit company that helps individuals send care packages and birthday cakes to those serving in the military, is delivering beautiful Valentine’s cakes from Bake-Me-A-Wish to soldiers around the world. Your donations will help share love and support, and an elegant, handmade cake to those fighting overseas. What a nice way to get a jump-start on Valentine’s Day.

Rachel

It's great reading weather here in the Northeast. My living room is so cozy, but the low-lighting is more suited for entertaining than it is for spending hours engulfed in a new novel. To save my eyes, I’m thinking of buying the lamp that my favorite independent bookstore swears offers the best reading light ever. Sure, the handsome aluminum Tolomeo table lamp has won awards for design and function, but when serious bookworms say they can't live without it, it's time for me to check it out, too.

Do you love this lamp, too or have another you adore? I'd love to hear about it.

Have a great weekend!
Rachel

We’re only half-way through winter but I’m kind of over these short, cold days. I’ve been trying new hot drinks to keep my spirits up, but always come back to my favorite blend of herbal teas which I’ve been brewing loose at rapid speed with this automatic tea pot—the Tea Maestro. No fiddling with any tea infusers or strainers, just a perfect cup of comforting goodness to get me through the rest of this season. Spring: please hurry!

Rachel

No matter how clean you think your bathroom is, if mildew has stained your calking, it sure won’t look it. If you’re retiling your bathroom, or even thinking about it, take action to prevent any of the 100,000 species of mildew from making its home between your tile. You’re going to want to use a mildew resistant sealant to discourage the growth of mildew which loves the humidity of your bathroom. Try something like MildewFree Sealant which comes with a 7-year reinstallation warranty, should mildew ever show its ugly face under the sealant of your nice, new shower or tub. Get more gross facts on mildew and order here.

Rachel

I think you'll agree that getting organized and saving money are pretty popular topics these days. Well, how about hanging this nifty organizer, a modern revival of an iconic 1960s plastic design, to house anything from kitchen accessories to bathroom toiletries? It's way more efficient than your junk drawer and looks cool, too. It retails for $375, so where does the "save money" part come in, you ask? Enter to win one from our friends at Casa Sugar, and it could be yours—free.

Good luck!
Rachel

A friend introduced me to this chair (fine, 2 years after the Italian design duo, Nobody & Co., released it) – the “bibliochaise” – and I want nothing more than a day devoted entirely to reading in it. If it was in my living room, it would surely become my favorite seat in the house. This got me thinking about a fun community thread I came across today, which asked iVillagers what their favorite place in the house is. The top three responses: newly remodeled kitchens, outdoor patios and of course, in favorite comfy chairs.

What’s yours?

Rachel

I admit that I rarely iron these days, but when I do, I worry that I haven’t properly unplugged it or put it away before it was completely cool. Long after I’ve run out the door, I pray I didn’t accidentally burn my house down. Seriously, you don’t have to have OCD to know what I’m talking about. Here is something to calm our neurosis – a hot iron storage case. Please, someone make a case for a curling or flat iron next.

Rachel

Stop! Back away from the paintbrush. Before you paint another wall, get the scoop on the latest color trends and how to make them work for your home. Ann McGuire, color consultant for Valspar Paint and founder of Beehive Studios, shares what’s hot in color this year.

Thanks to the eco-friendly “green” trend of 2007, natural colors continue to dominate home decor. Gorgeous palettes of peaceful greens and soft, botanical hues are emerging—perfect for creating an inviting, relaxing atmosphere. According to Ann, these colors are easiest to adopt if your home is already decorated with warm tones. However, if your home is colored with a stronger palette, this soothing trend is a quick and simple way to soften your interior.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the spicy new enthusiasm for global flavor. Vibrant oranges, golds, pinks, deep blues and greens are making a big splash. If you’ve been thinking about kicking things up a notch, now’s the time to go for it! Keep in mind, however, that these bright hues work best in the dining room, living room and bathroom where big colors won’t feel overwhelming.

No matter what you decide, Ann recommends taking the time to determine what effect you want to achieve before you start painting. If you’re starting from scratch, she suggests picking a palette you adore and just going for it; think about contrasting colors that you love together. I especially like her idea of using a shade of taupe-green with a spicy rust orange. This combo is calming, yet still unique, and it’s a great way to combine the mild “green” trend with the fiery global trend.

I hope you’ll try these new color palettes in your home this year and share with me the wonderful rooms you create.

Enjoy,
Rachel

Low on warm winter socks, with no idea how to knit your own? I suppose you could quickly learn the basics of the craft, but don’t bother – just log on to this site and choose a real-life Swiss granny to custom-knit you a pair. The pictures alone are worth a click, even if you can’t translate the German website.

Enjoy,
Rachel

We know Europeans enjoy more vacation days than Americans, but do you ever wonder how much time we spend on household cleaning, compared to others in France, Italy or England?

Stats just came out that Italians clean the most, about 4 days per week, where as Brits and Americans tackle household chores less than three times a week. Overall time spent cleaning has dropped slightly across the board (only in France has the number of cleaning occasions per week risen), which makes me think that people are now running lower-maintenance households. Do you believe easier-to-clean, longer-lasting home updates, like replacing carpet with wood flooring, help cut down on cleaning time significantly?

Let me know your thoughts and how you measure up.

Have a great weekend!

Rachel

Maybe you took yesterday’s advice and decided to upgrade and recycle your old electronics. And now that you have shiny new toys, the right case is a must-have for keeping them looking like-new longer. Because your cell phones, iPod, camera and laptop take a beating from everyday use, having the right case is essential – and having a case with beauty and style, is a rare and wonderful bonus. Get both function and form from Vaja, the Argentinean makers of gadget cases custom-designed to the exact specifications of your device and color tastes. Check out the site – you’ll want to order everything.

Rachel

On your de-cluttering mission this new year, you might be tempted to just toss things, but you can recycle or reuse more than you think. If you’ve upgraded to new electronics and don’t know what to do with that old cell phone or TV, they can be recycled and should be. According to the EPA, if Americans recycled cell phones that are no longer in use, we could power close to 200,000 homes for a year with energy saved from mining metal for new ones. That’s pretty major. Many of your favorite electronic stores are partnering with the EPA to make it easier to donate old electronics – and clean out your junk drawers, garages. Check out the eCycling program, which just launched this week.

Rachel

Paint color trends are being forecasted for 2008 and there are a few that I’m really excited about, including these spicy hues that inspire a world of excitement. The “Globetrotting” collection is my favorite new palette from Valspar. Check out the bright, saturated colors that are sure to give a new kick to your current décor. You can try various shades – softer or stronger – to make the collection perfect for any room in the house.

Rachel

One of my favorite things about winter is that I can stay home without feeling lazy. After all, if it's 17 degrees and snowing outside, who can blame you for sitting on the couch?

I’ve got a Netflix subscription, a deep, comfy couch and a cashmere throw, but after being spoiled by my friends’ home theater projection system (like this one), I definitely feel like my own set-up needs – at least a little – upgrading.

Did you recently invest in new electronics, or are you planning to? I’d love to hear what's on your dream list.

Rachel

Weekends are for sleeping in, which I certainly plan to do, but I’m also on the hunt for a new alarm clock tomorrow. I admit, right now I’m relying on my cell phone alarm to wake me up. I was thinking of this model from Homedics, though I haven’t tried it. I’m not sure I need all the bells and whistles it offers, like nature sounds to help me fall asleep, but I definitely want a radio and like the iPod feature. Is the time displayed on the ceiling in blue light soothing or distracting? When I try it out, I’ll let you know.

Do you have a favorite alarm clock? I’d love your recommendations.

Have a great weekend!

Rachel

I love to play the Guess Who games on CasaSugar. They provide a picture of something and you submit your guess as to what it is. Today’s challenge took me three tries to get right. While correct, Oriental Magnolia was too specific an answer. Oh, well.

Test yourself and let me know how you do!

Rachel

I’m not usually one for horoscopes, but in honor of the New Year, I checked out what the stars have in store for me this month. Apparently at the end of January planets will align to give me luck in money, love, and believe it or not – home decorating and accessorizing! Fellow Virgos, go ahead and use this as an excuse to pick out something you absolutely love for your home, and all signs can find their astrological decorating style here.

Enjoy and happy New Year!

Rachel