We've all been there - you decide to take the plunge and buy a new dining room table, but just can find the right one.  You've spent countless hours searching stores, catalogues, and websites and you can't help but wish there was one place you could go and see all of the cool stylish dining room tables in one place.  Well, help has arrived in the form of New York Magazine's Shop-A-Matic.

Shop-a-matic is a feature on New York Magazine's website where they take one item - say dining room tables - and scour the internet for the best of the best.  With tons of options to choose from in all price ranges and detailed information (including websites) for each item, it's a one-stop shopping extravaganza.  Recent shop-a-matics include beds, bookshelves, and chairs.  But the shopping powers that be don't just limit their talents to  furniture or home accessories - fashion, school supplies, and pets are just some of the topics covered in past shop-a-matics.

The website even allows you to sign up for email alerts when a new shop-a-matic is released, so you will never miss out on any of the shopping goodness!

For some, Ben's Chili Bowl may not be the most well known of DC's attractions, but to many, it is an institution and a landmark.  This week marks the 50^th anniversary of the day Ben's Chili Bowl first opened its doors on U Street.  As part of the Ben's Chili Bowl 50^th Anniversary Celebration (and really, chili this good should be celebrated), there are a number of events taking place around U Street.

On Thursday, August 21, Bill Cosby (the only person who eats for free at Ben's) will host a tribute to Ben's at the Lincoln Theatre on U Street.  Starting at 8 p.m., the event will feature a performance by Roberta Flack and many others.  Tickets are free, but you can only get your hands on some by visiting Ben's this week and hoping to be one of the random patrons lucky enough to receive a pair.

If you can't get tickets to Thursday's event, Friday, August 22 will see U Street playing host to the Ben's Chili Bowl Block Party.  Opening with a press conference at 10:30 a.m. featuring Mayor Fenty, city council members, and special guests Ben and Virginia Ali, the party will feature music, kids activities, Rita's water ice, and of course lots of chili dogs and chili half-smokes!

The festivities wrap up on Sunday, August 24 with a free concert at the 9:30 Club (815 V St. NW).  The concert goes from 2 - 10 p.m. and will feature performances from EU featuring Sugar Bear, Trouble Funk, Wes Felton and Friends, Mambo Sauce, Lady Pcoq & Poem-Cees, V. Rich and Pancake Mountain.

More information about the events can be found on Ben's Chili Bowl's website.  With all of these activities going on, there's no excuse not to let your diet slip for a day and go enjoy a chili dog or some chili cheese fries and help a DC landmark celebrate 50 years of success! 

Isn't it great when you can enjoy a few drinks, a live band, hang out with friends, and do it all for a good cause?  Thursday, August 21 from 6-9 p.m. is the 4^th annual Brew at the Zoo at the National Zoo (3001 Connecticut Ave., NW).  The event is sponsored by the Friends of the National Zoo Young Professionals and features beers and hors d'oeuvres from more then 20 microbreweries and local restaurants.  Entertainment will be provided by local band Wit Til Friday.

Tickets are $55 (or $40 for Friends of the Zoo members) and can be purchased here.  Admission includes all beer samples, hors d'oeuvres, entertainment, and a commemorative glass.  Proceeds from the event benefit the Zoo's Asian elephant conservation program.  The event was sold out last year, so be sure to get your tickets early. 

After much anticipation, the SmartBike program has finally debuted in DC.  A collaboration between Clear Channel Outdoor and the District Department of Transportation, SmartBike is being billed as America's first self-service public bike rental program.  With ten locations around the city, members have access to bikes whenever they want them.  Just walk up to a docking station, swipe your membership card, grab a bike and go!  Once you're done, just check the bike back in - no need to haul it to your condo or apartment or worry about locking it up at night.

You can sign up for an annual membership online at SmartBike's website.  Fees are $40 for a year and includes unlimited access to SmartBikes around the city.  To make things even easier, the SmartBike website allows you to check on the availability of bikes at all of their docking stations - no trudging outside just to find that all the bikes are gone.

For casual bike riders looking to get around the city, the SmartBike program is cheaper and easier than buying your own bike, less hassle than hailing a cab, and less crowded than the Metro - seems like a great idea to us!

There are many eco-friendly countertops on the market today that hold up well under heavy use.  They combine natural and man-made materials in composite slabs, and usually integrate recycled materials as well, while remaining very attractive and utilitarian alternatives to mainstream countertops. 

IceStone countertops (www.icestone.biz) are made of cement and glass, 75% of it recycled.  Thousands of pieces of polished glass (which used to be beer bottles, windshields, or traffic lights) are set in a base of concrete, and these surfaces are available in almost any color.  Vetrazzo (www.vetrazzo.com) is similar product, using 80% recycled glass.  Vetrazzo is more highly customized and is made with larger chunks of glass.  In addition, EnviroSlab (www.enviroglasproducts.com) sets recycled glass into a color-pigmented epoxy resin, but the epoxy resin base is less eco-friendly than the cement base.

Paper-and-resin composites are made from recycled newspaper, cardboard, and waste paper.  These slab counters can be sawn, drilled, screwed, or routed just like wood or Corian, and come in a variety of colors.  PaperStone (www.paperstoneproducts.com) leads the industry and is composed of a natural resin and 100% recycled post-consumer paper, resulting in a strong and durable end product. 

Alkemi (www.renewedmaterials.com) uses curled shavings of shredded scrap aluminum embedded in a resin that comes in dozens of colors. The metal reflects light, resulting in a modern space-age look that is also durable and heat-resistant.

With so many top-of-the-line alternatives, making your new or existing home more eco-friendly is easier and more beautiful than ever.

Kitchen remodeling is one of the most popular home improvement projects and is an excellent investment.  However, before diving into a large kitchen remodel, carefully consider both budget and design. 

When planning your initial kitchen remodel budget, it is useful to allocate 40-50% of your budget for cabinets, 20-30% for appliances, 20-25% for countertops, 10-15% for flooring, and 5-15% for lighting.  The primary material costs include cabinets, counters, appliances and floors, with lighting, paint, and accents topping it off.  Keep in mind that designers usually charge $50-$150+ per hour, so plan your budget accordingly if you plan to hire professional design help.

A well-designed kitchen will have a smooth work-flow between the stove, the sink, and the refrigerator.  Always remember that the size of the kitchen size is only as important as its ease of use, so be sure to pair design and functionality together.  A huge kitchen that is awkward to use is less valuable in the long run than a smaller, more functional kitchen.

Lighting is another key component to good kitchen design.  The three types of lighting are general lighting, task lighting, and accent (or ambient) lighting.  A good kitchen design will strive to balance the general lighting and task lighting in order to fully illuminate the room while avoiding harsh shadows or glares.  Don't forget to include accent lighting as well to set he mood of the room. 

Cabinets are a huge part of any kitchen.  Not only do they provide essential storage, but they also shape the kitchen and contribute significantly to its overall style.  Cabinets come in three basic types:  stock, semi-custom and custom.  Stock cabinets are the least expensive, are manufactured in bulk, and are available in a variety of sizes and colors. They're a good basic choice available in most home improvement stores, but may not provide an absolutely perfect fit an a unique home.  Compared to stock cabinets, semi-custom cabinets are available in a wider variety of styles, use higher quality materials, are made to order, and generally have a more precise fit in the kitchen.  Custom cabinets are top of the line.  They are the most expensive, but are made from the highest quality materials, come in almost limitless styles, and are custom-crafted onsite by a skilled carpenter.  

A detailed plan is important for any kitchen remodel.  Decide whether you want to hire a professional designer or choose your own designs, choose a cabinet distributor or home center, and put plenty of thought into your budget.  You may deviate from the plan, but this crucial step will save you time during the process. 

It's Just Lunch (IJL) is a specialized dating service for busy single professionals in D.C.  A Chicago woman founded It's Just Lunch more than 15 years ago after her engagement was suddenly called off.  Only 5 months after founding IJL, she attended her first IJL wedding, and has been working to create couples ever since.

Their "first date experts" hope to minimize stress and maximize efficiency by coordinating fun lunch dates for busy single professionals in the Washington D.C. area. They tell you about your match, coordinate your schedules, and make the reservations at a D.C. restaurant convenient for both parties.  (They'll also set up brunch or drinks after work, if that's more your style.)  One phone call and a confidential face-to-face interview will get you started, and It's Just Lunch will set you up with your matches and do all the legwork. 

For more information or to get started, call 202-466-6699 or visit them online at www.itsjustlunchwashington.com. 

It's wise to consider your technology needs carefully when moving to a new home.  Be sure to research a new neighborhood's technology choices and problems by talking with service providers and other residents to ensure that high-speed internet access is available, or that a local monument doesn't block satellite service.  In some cases, you may end up with more options than you had before, like cable, DSL, and FiOS (fiber-optics), or you may end up needing dial-up or satellite access.  To supplement your live research, visit sites like www.broadbandreports.com to avoid post-move technology regrets.  And remember, internet isn't the only concern.  Before the move, research your options for telephone service, decide if a land-line, cell only, or both would be best, and be sure to check the quality of the cellular service available in the area.

Most people move to existing homes with their own layout, so it is useful to map out rooms that will be home to computers or other electronic equipment; include walls, doors, windows, phone/cable/Ethernet jacks and electrical outlets in your plans.  Sketch out your furniture in order to avoid having jacks or outlets stuck behind immovable furniture.  If the new place's jacks don't match your desired technological equipment placements, WiFi (wireless networking) is an excellent option.   

If you're dealing with new construction or doing significant remodeling, you'll have the luxury of wiring for the future.  Currently, the most versatile and adaptable approach is to run multiple cables-phone, Ethernet, and coaxial-to a "patch panel", or central wiring point, from each room.  This allows for connectivity and equipment to be easily changed in the suture.  In addition, enclosing cables in conduit with spare space allows for future expansion.

Be careful not to schedule too many overlapping service installations in a small living space, since some installers may get in each others' way or accidentally disrupt other connections while installing theirs.  Remember, too, that multiple installations can cause fees to add up rapidly, so you may want to consider buying bundled service that combines telephone, Internet and television in order to save money.  In addition, prepare for delays since service is sometimes not fully functional for up to weeks.  Hopefully, though, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

1.  Find a purpose.

First, determine exactly how you want to use the room in question.  Do you want a great room that combines dining, television, and family space?  Or do you have extra rooms and want one casual family room and one formal living room?  A room's purpose should be one of the strongest considerations when choosing a decorating scheme.

2.  Consider others.

Who will use this space?  Guests, family, children, pets, or any combination of the above?   Always consider a room's occupants when selecting finishes and fabrics.  For example flat finish paints and silk slipcovers might be a sophisticated choice for an adult-only room, they would be highly inappropriate for spaces routinely used by children and pets.

3.    Please yourself.

Great décor and personality are not mutually exclusive; your room should reflect  your style. Look through design magazines and place Post-it notes on anything you like.  Work fast and don't filter your reactions; now is the time to let your gut reactions and first impressions lead the way.  When you review them later, the marked images will tell the story of how your room should be.

4.    Size does matter.

"Most people think they have much more space than they do," says designer Alia Myer from Jessica Hall Associates.  Then when they mistakenly buy oversized furniture, "it feels mashed together."  These days, sofas continue to come in increasing sizes, but often the furniture doesn't fit the room.  The solution is to draw a floor plan of your room to scale on graph paper (letting one square equal one foot, for example).  Before buying furniture, measure the pieces and draw them in their potential locations on the graph paper to ensure a good fit before bringing them home. 

5.  Go with the flow.

A beautifully decorated home should have some continuity from room to room.  Each room doesn't need to have the exact same color scheme or style, but try to keep one element that continues from one room to the next to maintain continuity overall.   Designer Stephanie Henley of Beasley & Henley Interior Design says,  "When you do one room, you have to think about everything that touches it, all of the spaces that connect. And stay with the whole scheme of the house."

6.     Find your inspiration.

Sometimes you already own and love an item that can inspire an entire room.   Line up your favorite things in the room you want to decorate, and let the one that most moves you guide your choices.  From your grandmother's rustic desk to your favorite painting, these loves items can inspire color, texture, and style.

7.    Make a plan.

Try to envision your finished room and then plan what steps you'll need to take to get there.   You can keep the plans in your briefcase, on your computer, in a designated pile on your desk, or possibly in your head, but it's important to think it all through.  Key measurements, inspiring images, and shopping lists can be useful and time-saving.  Of course, all this planning is flexible and subject to change, but having a plan in mind will help you make decisions and keep your momentum.

8.  Take time to browse.

You don't need to buy everything at once.  Furniture shopping can be overwhelming and it can be tempting to buy the furniture showroom, which results in perfectly matching pieces that may look lovely, but may also look just like your neighbor's house and won't reflect your unique personality and tastes.  The best way to accomplish your own look is to avoid buying matching furniture from a single store and instead shop from a variety of sources, gradually piecing together your pieces. 

9.  Avoid fads.

Avoid trendy patterns on expensive pieces unless you can afford to change things often or plan to redecorate every couple years.  It's best to choose neutral colors for large upholstered pieces (like a sofa) and use funky and trendy accent pieces that are easier to replace when the trends change. If you want to create a bigger impact, go with a patterned slipcover or a coat of paint in a popular hue. 

10.   Light up your life.

You can never have too many lighting options.  Both task lighting and ambient lighting will dramatically affect the functionality and mood of your room.  In addition, convert some light switches to dimmers and have plenty of lamps. 

Doorknobs are small details that can have a large impact on a space, while remaining within a budget.  Doorknobs come in many shapes and sizes, but be careful not to go overboard when shopping for new doorknobs; they should complement the room, but not be the focal point.  

To replace your doorknobs, follow these simple steps:

1. Remove the screws holding the old doorknob in place and unscrew the striker and pull it out.  After you remove the screws, the doorknob can be pulled apart and removed.
2. Install the new doorknob by reversing the removal procedure.  The holes for the new doorknob will usually match the existing holes.
3. Depending on your door, you may need to adjust the backset (the distance between the edge of the door and the center of the doorknob).
4. If you feel resistance when sliding the new knob together, turn the lock back and forth so that the shaft fits correctly.
5. Sit back and enjoy the new effect!