Okay, don’t get us wrong, we love a good gift card but after spending thousands of dollars on a wedding and completely depleting our bank accounts, nothing really compares to cold hard cash (after all, who wants to scrimp on her honeymoon?)

Now, you’re going to want to keep this next piece of information hush-hush (lest you offend your wedding guests): We’ve actually found a way to cash in unwanted gift cards for up to 90 percent of the card value! It’s called CardSwap, the Canadian site that allows you to buy, sell and donate unwanted gift cards online. All you need to do is enter the merchant name, card value and your email address into this page and you’ll instantly be given an offer on your card. If you’re interested in selling at that point, simply mail the card to CardSwap (using their prepaid shipping label) and within 48 hours of receiving it, the company will validate the card and send you a cheque.

You can also use the site to donate your gift cards to to charity or to buy other people’s unwanted cards at up to 40 percent off the face value. It might be the best possible way to regift!

Photo courtesy WENN.com.

Reality TV star Kristin Cavallari—of Laguna Beach and The Hills fame—announced her engagement to Jay Cutler, a quarterback for the Chicago Bears, this past April, and People magazine has uncovered their registry list! The pair, who are registered at Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel, have put together an extensive list of different items (including some surprises!). Here’s the lowdown:

The Affordable Picks

When adding items to your registry list, it’s always important to choose some pieces that won’t break the bank. On the lower end of the scale, Cavallari and Cutler picked out a muffin pan from Williams-Sonoma ($30) and teabag rest plates from Crate & Barrel ($3 each, pictured below).

The Splurge Items

In addition to budget-friendly picks, add some big ticket items to your registry. Remember that your guests may want to pitch in as a group for one of your dream pieces. Cavallari and Cutler’s extravagant must-haves? A copper stockpot ($495) and a 19-piece knife set ($2,800, pictured), both from Williams-Sonoma.

The Wild Card

While we applaud Cavallari and Cutler for mixing high and low items on their registry list, and choosing more than one retailer, there were some things that made us scratch our heads a little. Exhibit A: a KitchenAid sausage stuffer kit attachment ($15). Say what? Imagine being stuck with that gift…

Want more tips on how to put together your very own wish list? Check out our registry guidelines here.

How will you be showing off your wedding photos? From hardcover albums to scrapbooks and traditional picture frames, there are dozens of ways to show off your stunning wedding day pics. Trust us, once the day is over your friends and family are going to be asking: Can we see your pictures? (We know because we’ve been bugging our Art Director Jenn to get her to show us her gorgeous pics from her recent wedding — and yes, we’ve been lucky enough to see a few snaps!)

One way to keep tons of photos out in the open for your friends and family is with a digital frame. If you’re already thinking about getting one, definitely consider this new Kodak Pulse Digital Frame, $200. What’s cool about it, is you can manage your pictures remotely and have friends and family email pictures right to the frame, thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi. Plus when you add new pictures to the frame, it will alert your friends on Facebook and the Kodak gallery that new photos have been added. The frame has 512 MB of memory, which translates to about 4,000 images. There’s also a USB port and two card slots if you want to add photos from other sources.

We think it’s a great way to show off your new wedding pictures and have your friends and family help add their memories to your collection too.

This past weekend, Linen Chest opened its 16th location (its second in Ontario) — in Mississauga. For those of you who don’t know much about this home decor destination, this company started 40 years ago by a woman from Quebec and is still Canadian-run. One thing you’ll love to know is that one of their service highlights includes a price guarantee. What this means is if you find the same merchandise at a lower price somewhere else, they’ll not only match the price, but give you an additional 10% off the difference. Not only good for you, but for your guests if you plan on registering with them. From now until the 28th of November those visiting the Mississauga location will receive 20% off almost everything in the store. Time to start decorating! 

3-piece Grey Gardens Bed Linen Gift Set, $125

CB2, sister store to Crate & Barrel, just went international with their website, which means us Canadians can now shop online and get the goods delivered straight to our doors. More modern and offering lower-priced items than C&B, CB2 also offers something totally unique with their “One of a Finds” one of a kind finds, created in collaboration with artisans from around the world. It’s a great way to get a worldly piece in your home without having trekked across the globe. Another great thing is the price includes the duty and delivery, so you won’t find any additional costs added to your final bill. Currently large furniture items aren’t available for shipping, but you can look forward to purchasing them in store when the first CB2 store comes to Toronto in the spring of 2011. Until then, definitely check out all of the cool decor, bedroom and dinnerware available online. Happy shopping!

"One of a Finds" 4-piece Heaven & Earth Sake Set, $90

Tonight in Montreal, Birks will unveil it’s Living Collection at its flagship store. Jewellery is probably what comes to mind first when thinking of Birks, but they also have fantastic giftware and silverware. Now adding to that is houseware and design objects for your home — think bar, bedroom, dining, office and living. The types of items you’ll find include decorative trays, vases, glass and crystal pieces, dinnerware and glassware and even a new home fragrance Birks L’Aroma. When it comes to decorating your newlywed nest, we think you’ll want to add Birks to the list! We love the chic frames (perfect for displaying a wedding picture of you and your mister!) and stylish vases (because fresh flowers need to be in a beautiful container). The entire Living Collection is available in store in Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver, with a selection being available in stores across Canada. Visit birks.ca to see all of the items available.

If you and your man love a good cup of coffee (we’re talking espresso, not the drip kind), then I promise you’ll love the Breville Barista Express. First, it’s a sleek and sexy machine you’ll want to show off on your kitchen counter. Besides it also makes an amazing cup of java! It has an integrated conical burr grinder that lets you select grind size, a 15-Bar pump, tons of manual functions, and a steamer for frothing that perfect latte!

Last week I had the opportunity to test out the machine and learn about making the perfect cup of espresso. There’s actually an art to it and it may take more than one cup of espresso to master it. Don’t fret though, there are some simple things to do that will help. Matthew Taylor of Mercury Espresso Bar in Toronto was there to teach the class and he shared some tips I want to pass on to you.

1. Press the Grinds. After you grind your coffee into the press, make sure you really push down on the coffee (ensuring it’s also even) with the tamper. This will make for a delicious cup of coffee!

2. Aerate the Steamer. Before you start frothing your milk, let the steamer heat up and spew before you start.

3. The Perfect Froth. If you’re making a cappuccino (this requires a lot of froth), first you only need to fill the jug about 1/4 of the way full. The steaming rod should only be about 1 cm in the milk, which will start to create the froth. Bring the rod to the side of the cup to start a whirling action in the milk. This will heat up the milk. If the cup gets too hot to the touch, you’re done — if you let it get too hot, you’ll burn your milk!

Retailing for $699, the machine is available in stores all across Canada. Visit breville.ca to find one near you.