2012 is a huge year for sport, as apart from the pomp, ceremony and, hopefully, a bagful of Gold medals Team GB in Olympics, there is also the small matter of the Euro 2012 football tournament being held jointly by The Ukraine and Poland. If you are an armchair enthusiast where football is concerned, but only because you don’t have the means to travel to Eastern Europe, then you need to get yourself entered into the great Kia Dubstep Competition.

They have come up with an innovative contest that gives you the chance to fly to Warsaw to attend the opening game of 2012, all expenses paid. As well as this, there is a fantastic top prize of a stunning Kia Picanto, fresh off the production line. If that doesn’t have you chomping at the bit for more details then nothing will, so read on. The Kia Dubstep competition combines a love of football with a love of dance, Dubstep dance that is.

All you have to do to enter is get a video taken of yourself, or as part of a group, dancing to ‘I Can’t Stop’ from DJ Flux Pavilion. You can only dance to this tune and it must be heard as part of the video. This is then uploaded to the competitions Facebook page and that’s it, apart from a few rules. Only 2 from each video can take the prize of the trip to Warsaw, and all prizes can only be claimed by adults. Enter the competition now!

So if your kid brother wants to be part of it, let him in the video, then bring him some souvenirs back. Before or after you enter the contest, which closes on the 13th May so look lively, you can see what you are up against on YouTube. Adrian Brambila and friends incorporate footballs into their dance, and bring the sport element into it.

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East London is a colourful place to visit, and it’s also a very colourful place to dine.  There are many fine dining options scattered throughout the area including the following restaurants that are considered some of the best in East London.

Bistrotheque is one of the forerunner’s due to the fact that its chef, Tom Collins, has been receiving great praise for catering to the trendy and fashionable crowd that dine at his establishment. From roast chicken with garlic to steak tartare and special dishes such as morcilla & peppers, his gourmet dishes look great when served in the bistros simple whitewashed décor.

Another great dining option in East London is Brawn; which is the sibling of Covent Garden’s Terroirs wine bar. The homely bistro offers diners the comfortable feeling of dining at a friend’s house, but with much more flavour from the menu options that include garlicky prawns, choucroute Alsacienne, and steak tartare.  The menu is locally supplied with plenty of changes on a regular basis so that repeat visitors will always find something new.

Being the closest fine dining establishment to Olympic Stadium, you can expect that Formans is going to become  a hotspot over the next year, offering an array of fine British food including London Cure smoked salmon, eel fillets, and Hampshire foie gras.  Outside of its food, the restaurant also offers a fine selection of wine options such as Chapel Down reds, British champagnes, and Nyetimber sparklers.

Living in a luxury camper van, seeing some of the best landscapes and wildlife in New Zealand up close, taking part in activities that are the kind of things that dreams are made of, if this is the kind of thing that gets you excited then your next point of call after you have read this is the Stories Beat Stuff website and find out how all this, and more, can be yours, and you get to take 3 mates along for the ride too.

There is one catch however, you have to choose an item, any item, the more random the better, that is precious to you but that you would be prepared to exchange for this trip of a lifetime. That crystal that never leaves your pocket, a seashell from a holiday, a toy car, you name it you can use it, just tell everyone the story behind it, what it means to you are why you are prepared to swap it with Tourism New Zealand.

While video entries are preferred; shoot it, upload it to YouTube then add the URL to the Stories Beat Stuff website, photo entries are also accepted which you upload directly onto the site. Also on here you can find further details about the prizes on offer; the above information relates to the Natural Goodness prize, see other contestants, past winners and watch a sample video to give you an idea of what they are looking for. If you are more of a winter person, then the Winter Highlife prize which gives you the chance to ski New Zealand, may be the one for you!

Be wild, be creative, but be tasteful, they are the only rules, apart from the fact the item you are offering to exchange must be yours and the story must be genuine. There are two tough decisions relating to this competition; what to exchange and who to take with you. Whatever and who every you decide on, the sooner you get our entry in the sooner you earn votes so did out that possession at get to it.

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When most people think of Amsterdam they think of the red light areas, but in truth Amsterdam has much more to offer people in terms of nightlife because once the sun sets the best side of the city actually comes out.

Many people compare Amsterdam to heaven at night due to the fact that it is packed full of bars, night clubs cafes, restaurants, and even some great places to visit for those who are not into the clubbing scene. Alternatives also include music shows, cocktails, casinos, and discos.

One unique aspect of the nightlife scene in Amsterdam is the fact that the lounges and clubs stay open for the entire night, thus you can party well into the morning if you wish. For the best selection of bars, clubs and casinos visitors should head down to the Rembrantplein and the Leidseplein corners of the city.

Those who want a little less activity, but still want to be out in the night, usually prefer the Grand café and the Café De Croons were you can find a wide assortment of beverages, wines, and other drugs for those who would prefer what the city is famous for. Another great tourist location is Bourbon Street where there is plenty of activity all night long.

Music and dance shows are also popular at night among tourists and spots such as the Koninklijk Theatre Carre which is a brilliant representation of the culture of the city and offers plenty of shows with reasonable ticket charges.

Top rated US channel The DIY Network is on a mission to find the most desperate landscape in America, and wants viewers to submit photos and/or videos of their ashamedly ugly yards to their Desperate Landscapes website. Those deemed to have the worst landscapes will have a visit from the program and will be in with the chance of wining a fabulous yard makeover worth $25,000.

This is the fifth annual contest where ugly prevails and the ugliest is pronounced the winner, and the prize of the complete yard makeover comes courtesy of the expert host of DIY Network, the licensed contractor Jason Mills and his intrepid Desperate Landscapes crew. The competition ends on April 30th 2012, and the winner will appear in a special one hour long edition of America’s Most Desperate Landscape on the DIY Network at 9pm ET on Wednesday July 18th.

Desperate Landscapes is a highly successful makeover show which concentrates on the outdoor areas of the home, and have so far transformed numerous embarrassing yards into beautiful and functional spaces that are the envy of their neighbors. The new spring line up of the DIY Network is kicked off with the hunt for America’s Most Desperate Landscape, and new additions to this season include Yardcore, which is a half hour program where professional landscapers Joel and Jake Moss get set to give householders the yard they have always dreamed of, and take on any challenges that are needed to complete the task.

If you want to be in with a chance of winning a spectacular makeover that will elevate your yard from disaster zone to masterpiece, brave your yard to take photos of it, or a video, and get it uploaded to the site before April 30th and remember, the worse it is the better and is one of the times when ugly really will rule ok!

Quiche can be a wonderfully light entree to serve for breakfast, lunch, or dinner if you know how to make one, otherwise it can be a challenge to tackle.  However, the following instructions make it easy to prepare a perfect quiche in just over an hour.

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and then place a store bought crust into a 9” glass pie dish.  The next step is to whip five eggs together with about a half cup of heavy whipping cream.  After the eggs and cream are well whipped add in ¼ tsp of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  You want to make sure that the spices are evenly distributed after which you can toss in the other ingredients that you want to place in your quiche.

This is where you can really personalise the quiche and throw in your favourite mixture of meats and vegetables.  A common combination would be something like ham, red onion, cheese, broccoli, and tomato. Whatever ingredients you choose to use make sure that they are evenly coated with the egg mixture.

At this point all that you have to do is pour the egg mixture into the crust and place it into the oven for about sixty minutes.  You will know when the quiche is actually finished if you can stick a knife into the center of the quiche and it comes out clean.  At this point just wait about ten minutes for the quiche to cool down and you can then serve it to your guests.

With Valentines Day just around the corner there will still be many men who haven’t yet found the perfect gift for the lady in their lives. This could be due to the fact that the lady concerned it very hard to buy for, or just that they haven’t had the time to look yet. Whatever the reason, you don’t have much time left so here are a few ideas to help you get your gifts in time.

While it’s true that you can’t go wrong with Valentines chocolates, you may think that these are rather boring. The truth is that even the most avid chocoholic will love a special box or some personalised chocolates simply because it’s something she wouldn’t buy herself. If you haven’t been in a relationship very long chocolates flowers are safe without going over the top.

Even if you have been in a long term relationship it doesn’t make finding that perfect present any easier, and many man have likened Valentines Day to being as much of a nightmare as Christmas. If there was something you couldn’t get her for Christmas you could get that for her. A bottle of favourite perfume or a piece of jewellery will also be greatly appreciated as you have put thought and effort into it.

If she has a favourite singer or comedian who is going on tour, a ticket to see them will paint you as the perfect partner, or even a trip to see a show she has wanted to see for a long time. Taking her to the cinema to see the latest chick flick or her favourite actor in action will also win you gold stars, especially if you have always resisted going to see anything like this before.

Leeds is an excellent city for checking out the latest trends, given the fact that the city is a veritable hub of activity also benefits from having plenty of vintage clothes shops that always seem to have a full range of the vintage clothes that are currently in fashion. Therefore, if you are looking for some retro old pieces of clothing that you  pick up at a great price, then you may want to check out a few of the following vintage shops in Leeds.

Located on Grand Arcade, Upstaged Vintage offers vintage clothing from the twenties on through the eighties and is known for its fabulous collection that includes plenty of accessories. Although you may have to do some sifting, the family vintage shop is known for being one of the best stops in Leeds.

For those that are more into collecting vintage clothing or finding a special outfit for the weekend, the Pop Boutique on Central Road is a great stop. A chain of the Covent Garden brand, the vintage shop is small but packed with some great finds and it’s worth taking some time to look for that special something.

Finally, the aptly named Best Vintage on New Market Street is an excellent stop given the fact that it is located right in the city centre and offers unique one-of-a-kind dresses that you would never find anywhere else. Those that want to make sure every piece of their clothing is unique will fall in love with this vintage heaven.

Guacamole is a great add-on to many Mexican meals as both a topping or a great dip when paired with chips, crackers, or vegetables as a party appetiser. What makes it even better is that guacamole is easy to make if you have the best recipe out there.

To get started you need to purchase the ripest avocados that you can find in your local produce section. A ripe avocado should have a dark green skin and should be soft like a peach that is ripe when squeezed lightly. If they are brown however they have ripened too far so avoid the ones that are this colour.

Once you have the avocados, cut each in half and slowly circle around the smooth pit in the center so that you can pop it out. Then use a spoon or a pearing knife in order to scoop the flesh of the avocado out of the skins. Take this flesh and mash it until it is smooth, although if you like a little texture in your food you can leave a few small chunks behind.  Some people choose to use a food processor, but be careful not to grind it too much or it will turn into a liquid.

Finally, add a squirt of lemon juice, some fresh garlic, and a bit of salt to spice up the taste of the avocado. Garnish with a few chives, red onion, and cubed tomatoes and you will instantly have fresh guacamole ready to be served.

As larger groups and extended families are looking to take holidays together, the ever popular villa holiday is seeing a further surge in popularity for those who want a relaxed, laid back holiday with no restrictions. By taking a villa holiday in France you have the ultimate freedom to do what you want, eat when you want and also take the opportunity to explore this magnificent country and all that is has to offer.

The numbers of villas available for holiday rentals in France runs into the thousands, and it is very easy to find both the size and location of the villa that will ensure you have a fabulous holiday. Whether you want coast or country, there is a villa in France to suit your needs. Long thought of as the holiday homes of the rich and famous, many of us have now realised the cost effectiveness of taking a villa holiday, and the freedom afforded by this is priceless.

There are numerous sites on the Internet specialising in villa holidays in France, and a quick search and a few clicks of the mouse will reveal your perfect accommodation. If you want to soak up the ambiance of the lush French countryside then regions such as the Dordogne and Provence should be where you start your search. Wine lovers in particular will relish a holiday here thanks to the numerous vineyards which offer both tours and tasting sessions which will satisfy even the most discerning of palettes.

If you want to be nearer the coast, the superb properties available in Biarritz, Brittany, Bordeaux, La Rochelle and on the majestic island of Corsica will be right up your street. Wherever you decide to stay, taking a villa holiday in France will be a fantastic experience for all involved, and create those kinds of memories that will stay with you for a lifetime.