iDrakula is kind of a modern day abridged version of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula which, if you think about it, was kind of different for its time as the plot unfolded in letters. However, instead of being told through diary entries, newspaper articles and personal letter excerpts, iDrakula for your iPhone is presented in text messages, voice mail, emails and web site screen shots.

The dialog takes place between a few under-age kids. There are three protagonists; Jonathan Harker, Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray. Judging from the casual dialog, its not hard to imagine these young adults as typical high school students next door -only probably better looking, more self assured and well rounded. (How many high school students travel to Romania to meet a count?)

iDrakula is perfect for those with a short attention span. Teens and young adults who don’t have the patience for verbose dialog and descriptions will enjoy eavesdropping on the drama of this vampire story. It’s not a long story so you probably won’t get too attached to the characters. Expect to be entertained for a couple of hours or so if you scroll straight through the text messages and emails.

iDrauka is available in the iTunes Store .

The cost is $1.99.

Review by April Lentini

Image: Cillian Storm (Flickr)

Keep in mind that nine-to-fivers need to get an early jump on middle of-the-work-week festivities. Do not wait until 9 p.m. to get your Cinco de Mayo party going. If you are hosting an event, make sure you include food so people will not have to squeeze in time for dinner.

Host a Taco Night

Taco nights are so easy and versatile; it is hard not to please everyone. Just set up a buffet-type taco bar complete with refried beans, taco meat, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, hot sauce, pico de gallo, guacamole an more. Give people the option of both hard shells and soft shells. Stock your bar with Mexican beer and liquor for authentic Mexican libations. Adding ambiance to your house or apartment is super easy with a few details such as a piñata, some string lights and, of course, Mexican music.

Have a Mexcian-Themed Pot Luck Night

You’re busy, so why do all the work when most people are more than happy to bring something to the fiesta? Host a Cinco de Mayo potluck at your home that will make all of your foodie friends believe that they have died and gone to a Latin American heaven. Pot lucks are low maintenance get-togethers because you only have to worry about one or two dishes and perhaps drinks. Pot lucks are also a great way to try new dishes. So, toast Mexican culture this Cinco de Mayo with some great home-made Mexican food and drinks.

Prepare a Margarita Bar, Including Light Hors d’oeuvres

Perhaps your “hump-day” amigos enjoy afternoon cocktails to break up the work week. In this case, get the blenders out and invite people over to your place with the focal point being a margarita bar. Don’t forget the cute mini umbrellas and sliced fruit to garnish your frozen drinks. If you need some inspiration on making creative margaritas, MargaritaTexas.com has everything you need to know about making margaritas, including some very unique recipes.  You can’t let your friends drink on an empty stomach, so make sure that you have plenty of Mexican-like hors d’oeuvres available.

Attend Happy Hour at a Latin Club

If you prefer not to have the Cinco de Mayo celebration at your house, outsource the fun with the professionals. There are plenty of local bars in your town that have Cinco de Mayo events –especially during happy hour when you and your colleagues get off work. Take your salsa shoes if you are going to a dance club and make sure that you have a designated driver or make plans to take a taxi home if you plan on taking advantage of the two-for-one sangria specials.

April Lentini writes for Apartment Guide in San Jose.

Image: Basykes (Flickr)

Much to the carnivore’s surprise, accommodating vegetarians is pretty easy. Vegetarians are generally prepared when they attend a meat eater’s barbeque to fend for themselves anyway. Your vegetarian guests probably plan on bringing their own veggie burgers or fish (if they are pescatarians) to your barbeque. If you are the type of host that likes to be prepared and cater to everyone, here are some great meat alternatives for you to have on hand for the grill no matter what your barbeque style is. You may even be surprised to see your meat-eating friends enjoying these vegetarian options too.

If you are grilling hamburgers

If you are having a casual hamburger grill-out, you don’t need to go to great lengths for your vegetarian friends. Large portabella mushroom caps make a great hamburger alternative. Best of all, you can season them or marinate them in your own fabulous hamburger spices so your vegetarian friends can be equally impressed. Pescatarians will also appreciate a well-prepared, grilled salmon burger. Of course, you can always find frozen veggie burgers at your local grocery store if you don’t feel like preparing extra stuff. Keep in mind that veggie burgers and portabella mushroom caps do not need much time on the grill compared to the real hamburger patties you are cooking.

If you are grilling hot dogs

You can find vegetarian hot dogs at almost any major grocery store. They are also known as “veggie dogs” on the packaging. Vegetarian hot dogs, like most processed soy products, do not take long to cook on the grill. You can find a variety of vegetarian hot dogs including vegetarian bratwurst and even vegetarian Italian sausage. If you shop at Kroger or Publix, you will easily find these products in the refrigerated health food section. Keep in mind that you are not limited to these soy alternatives. Guest can fill up their hot dog buns “hoagie style “with a vegetarian stir-fry. Put some red peppers, onions, mushrooms, chopped-up tofu or tempeh in some aluminum foil on the grill. Topped off in the hot dog bun with sprouts and some good dressing, these will make a perfect meat alternative.

If you are grilling chicken or steak

Pescatarians love a good tuna steak or a flavorful salmon fillet. You can dress up a tuna steak or salmon fillet in the same glaze or marinade that you plan on using for your regular steaks. For strict vegetarians, you have some other options. Go to the health food section of your grocery store and look for the firmest tofu you can find. It may say “extra-firm” but if you see “firm as a brick,” get that one instead. You can also use tempeh, a tougher, grainier soy product. Slice the tofu or tempeh into flanks and marinate them in your secret sauce. Tofu takes on whatever flavor that you apply to it. Many recipes exist for creating the perfect tofu steak. Some involve mixing it with bread crumbs or cornmeal for the right consistency. Just remember that soy products take a fraction of the time to cook as your regular steaks.

If you are grilling shish kebabs

Vegetarians love shish kebabs. As long as you have plenty of veggies in your shish kebab lineup, you don’t need to do anything else. Don’t forget to include a variety of vegetables and even fruit. Pineapple, tomatoes, peppers and onions are great, but you can also include Japanese eggplant, mushrooms, potatoes, zucchini, squash and of course, marinated tofu or tempeh for added protein. Also, shrimp and scallops make a great seafood option for meat-eaters and pescatarians alike.

If you are grilling a whole pig on a spit

Please warn your vegetarian friends. They may decide to eat before they come to your house or they may decide to not come at all.

April Lentini writes for Apartment Guide in Austin.

Since the iPhone and iPod, international jetsetters have never been more informed and empowered with handy tools at their fingertips. Whether for business or pleasure, if you are an international traveler, you may want to check out these useful iPhone apps that will make your trips a breeze.

First of all, if you are using an iPhone, check with your service provider about international data packages. International roaming charges can get expensive very quickly. You can always make sure that the hotels and airports where you will be staying have a WiFi connection. WiFi works with iPhones as well as the iPod Touch, and in many places it is free.

Skype (Free)

Skype is free internet calling service. The iPhone app allows you to log into your Skype account to see who is online, send them text messages or make free Skype-to-Skype calls from any WiFi zone. If your international calling plan is too expensive, you can make Skype phone calls to other lines for less than a dollar per minute.

VelaClock World Clock ($3.99)

With an easily configurable user interface, VelaClock is useful if you communicate with friends or co-workers from around the world. In whatever part of the world you are in, you can quickly find out when the sun rises, sets and even get the exact time of three kinds of twilight and moon phases (useful for photographers). The screen displays the country’s flag, city name, the day of the week and the local time.

XE Currency App (Free)

With XE currency app, you have access to currencies from over 180 countries around the world. This app was developed by XE, a popular and long trusted currency site. You can easily switch your base country and as long as you have a connection, you can get up to the minute rates for every world currency. For areas where you do not have an internet or phone service connection, the latest rates are stored on your device.

Jibbigo Voice Translation ($24.99)

This app is made for the iPhone because you need a microphone and speaker. Basically, you say a phrase in one language and it talks back in the other. So far this app is only available for Spanish-English and Japanese-English. Jibbigo’s dictionary contains 40,000 words including certain common names. To use Jibbigo, the user simply holds down the record button and speaks. Jibbigo then translates and speaks the translation aloud.

Ultralingua Translation Dictionaries ($19.99)

As far as translation apps go, Ultralingua Translation Dictionaries command a premium price, but many users agree that it is worth every penny. Unlike other language translators, Ultralingua offers a comprehensive approach for translating words back and forth from other languages, with word definitions, verb conjugations and even a number translator. Individual dictionary apps are available to translate between English and six languages: French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin.

iTranslate (Free)

For those looking for a simple word translator, this free app may do the trick. iTranslate allows you to translate over 42 different languages on your iPhone or iPod. Based on Google Translate, you can switch languages without having to retype your text. Some disadvantages to this free app however, include annoying ads and not being able to save translations.

World Weather ($0.99)

Collecting data from wunderground.com, World Weather provides weather for more than 850,000 cities around the world. The user-friendly interface allows you to select any location by entering city, state, country or airport code. Check the weekly weather forecast so you know how to pack. Real-time weather conditions include realistic weather animations, temperature, wind, humidity, sunrise, sunset, moon phase and GPS location. You can choose between the English system units and metric system units.

Next Flight ($2.99)

Next Flight provides you a daily list of available flights from all Airline Carriers from any source to any destination. This app is useful if you have ever missed a flight and wanted to see if there is another flight you can catch. It also comes in handy if you want to see if you can hop on to an earlier flight. Just provide your origin, destination and departure date and the application lists all the available flights for the selected day including their departure and arrival timings.

HearPlanet ($5.99)

HearPlanet is the first talking tour guide for your cell phone. It provides text and spoken descriptions for nearly 250,000 points of interest in locations around the world and includes an integrated, interactive map and human voices, in addition to the computer-generated audio. When you have some time to just walk around and explore a new city, HearPlanet offers interesting facts and commentary based on your location.

April Lentini writes for Philadelphia Apartment Guide

Image: Al Lanni Flickr

Backyard Weddings

Getting married in your own home is the perfect way to convey meaning over material. A smaller, more intimate wedding with family and friends obviously saves you money, but it can also provide a more comfortable atmosphere. There are many ways to decorate your home and backyard for a ceremony and reception. All you need for a small crowed in your backyard is a rental tent, tables and chairs, and the rest of the decorating is up to your imagination. Having a backyard wedding is also the perfect motivation for home improvement. Why not use the money you’ll be saving to fix up your yard, build a new deck or gazebo or remodel the kitchen?

Mismatched Bridesmaids (Or No Bridesmaids)

In traditional weddings, bridesmaids have long been forced to buy expensive dresses that they hate or would never wear again. For modern, low-maintenance weddings, the rules are a little more laissez-faire. The trend last year of mismatched bridesmaid dresses continues strong into 2010. You may choose to offer loose guidelines for your bridesmaids such as “Find a pastel-colored cocktail dress above the knee,” “Wear anything pink,” or you may choose to not have bridesmaids at all. After all, most of your guests probably don’t care, and a short, simple, low-fuss ceremony means there is more time to eat and party.

Homemade Wedding Favors & DIY Novelties

One good thing about a low-budget wedding is that it can bring out your creative side. Instead of sending guests home with a retail trinket such as a personalized champagne glass, why not put together 15-20 songs from your wedding soundtrack that you will have playing at the wedding? And, for table centerpieces, the sky is the limit. From candles and flower vases to eclectic pieces such as decorated Mason jars or wine bottles, DIY decorations and novelties are all the rage this year.

Creative Photography

Hosting a wedding on the cheap doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be memorable. Instead of hiring an expensive portrait photographer, many are going for the journalistic approach. Hire one or two professional photographers to snap candid shots of all party guests. Most freelance photographers will be happy to simply give you a digital file of all the photos instead of making you commit to a pricey wedding photography photo album. After the wedding you can go to an online service such as Flickr to create and publish your own photo book by simply uploading your favorite photos and adding captions. This also makes a great gift for family members after the wedding. Renting photo booths for weddings is also popular (though a bit pricier), as it entertains guests and gives you some surprising, often amusing memories.

Locally Catered or Potluck Meals

If you are really looking for a low-fuss, bare-bones wedding reception, make your wedding a potluck wedding. If you go this route, makes sure you are well organized and communicate clearly with your friends and family on what to bring. It is possible to pull this off in a classy way, but it takes careful preparation. You can always do a combination of catering and cooking yourself to save money. If that local Cajun restaurant down the street has the best jambalaya you have ever tasted, ask them to make a big batch for your wedding. By saving money on a full catering service, you can go all out on other things that are more important to you, such as buying the wedding cake of your dreams or offering a full-service bar.

BYOB Bar

Speaking of alcohol, one way to cut back on expenses is advertise a BYOB bar.  Instead of wedding gifts, you may send out invitations to guests saying, “Help stock the newlyweds’ bar.” Hopefully you have a wine cellar or basement to store all the libations. If each guest were to bring two bottles of your favorite wine, champagne or liquor, you will probably be stocked up for several years to come.

You do not have to spend a lot of money to have a memorable and enjoyable wedding day. In fact, by cutting back on traditional expenses, you can avoid the stress of wedding planning and actually enjoy your special day.

April Lentini writes for Chicago Apartment Guide.  If you are looking for an apartment with a great community hall or poolside for your wedding, check out the many apartments available in Chicago. Image: PrincessAshley (Flickr)