This week we wanted to bring you a soundtrack that will get your summer started off right. Our only requirements for this list were happy beats and lighthearted lyrics so we combed the latest releases to find some great selections for your listening pleasure. The result is a super-fun roundup of female voices and electronic instruments that are sure keep you grooving all summer long. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Shiny Toy Guns – Major Tom

We’re taking you back to the 80s with this sparkling new cover of the classic “Major Tom” (originally recorded in the mid-80s by Peter Schilling, it was a retelling of David Bowie’s classic 1969 song “Space Oddity”.) The chorus and dance-worthy beats conjure up images of sublime space travel. itunes.com/shinytoyguns

Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream

This is summer in a song. The only male vocalists on our playlist, these two Aussies are a hypnotic duo, as displayed in this retro disco/futuristic pop track. Just listen, we promise you will enjoy.  itunes.com/empireofthesun

Tamar Kaprelian – A New Day

The requisite chic song, we first heard this one on the season finale of The Hills when LC drove off into the sunset and said goodbye (or so they claim) to reality TV and hello to a life with a little less paparazzi. Well, maybe. Like the show’s original theme song, this one’s got staying power.  itunes.com/tamarkaprelian

Santigold – Shove It

Not a new song, but Santigold is new to MKIA and we want to make sure we share the good stuff with all of you. Santigold is the poo so take a big whiff and check out her entire debut album (released last year) before her next one hits. (The proof ? She toured with Coldplay and Jay-Z sampled Shove It on his hit “Brooklyn Go Hard.”) Her punk/reggae style is so unique we want to make sure she’s on your radar. Get to know her…the tracks L.E.S Artistes and Starstruck are equally down-load worthy.  itunes.com/santigold

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero

Soaring, pulsating, and full of energy is the only way to describe the first single of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ synth-showered third album, Its Blitz! You won’t listen to this one sitting-down. itunes.com/yeahyeahyeahs

Vistoso Bosses – Delirious

After some serious sass we wanted to end with a little sweet. If you want to remember what it’s like to have a teenage crush (in the summer), turn on this song. A sleeper that will most likely be the bubbly jam of the summer…download it now before everyone’s playing it.  itunes.com/vistosobosses

If you are anything like me, you are a highly social gal but not a natural hostess.And the idea of organizing and creating a party, much less one with a theme, is curiously daunting. I love the idea of throwing parties; I just don’t ever seem to know where to start. With numerous friends getting married and having babies, I have a lot of reasons to celebrate but no source to help me compose these various events.

Socialcouture.com answered my party-throwing prayers. An on-line store for home entertaining products and services that provides you with the whole package – from party décor and tabletop ideas, to the napkins your guests will use. Their pre-packaged parties make it easy to throw a festive fete with little effort from you other than the choice of occasion. Whether you are celebrating Cinco De Mayo, a baby shower, bridal shower, or a child’s birthday, they have a your party planned.

In addition to their “parties in a box”, socialcouture.com sells individual products and offers abundant tips for the eager entertainer including food and recipes, complete menus and etiquette. They also have a great blog with creative ideas and products that will be helpful to even the most haute hostess!

Feeling bloated? Fatigued? I was. Did you eat too many cookies this winter? I did.

A few weeks ago I was feeling bad enough to follow the herd and research the health fad I’d been hearing so much about: the cleanse. I went straight to the source – a trusted colleague that I knew had done at least one before. With much enthusiasm she recommended the Blueprint Cleanse.

Her endorsement was clear: “the juice tastes great and you don’t feel hungry.” Thankfully, she was right. I started my 3-day cleanse last Monday and by Thursday morning my bloat was gone and I felt lighter and more energetic. Consisting entirely of fresh squeezed juices, your diet for the duration of your cleanse is only liquid which allows your digestive system to rest and your body to heal itself.

The juice, as promised, was delicious and tasted very fresh. As for being hungry, well I can’t say that I wasn’t but my stomach did not feel empty and I certainly was not starving. Depending on your current nutritional lifestyle, there are varying levels of intensity and length available. I chose the 3-day Foundation Cleanse because I already lead a somewhat healthy lifestyle and wanted to commit to a multiple-day regime but wasn’t sure I could last five (or more) full days without solid food.

Even my husband, who is normally a hungry guy, cleansed for two days. He liked the juice and never complained of intolerable hunger. The program is not cheap but it’s so simple and convenient that you will forget about the cost and focus on what you’re doing for your body. I am not a joiner and certainly don’t do fad diets but I give this my full endorsement. With little effort and minimal inconvenience, I felt refreshed and, yes, even cleansed.

I always thought that my friends not only had good taste—but good taste buds as well. My close friend, Carrie, certainly did not disappoint when she recommended BakedByMelissa.com.

The site is dedicated to owner Melissa Bushell’s most ingenious creation in the entire world: stuffed bite-sized cupcakes. The concept is perfect for someone like me, who is horrifically indecisive and takes hours to order at a restaurant because I want to have a small sample of everything on the menu.

With flavors like Cookie Dough (!!!), S’mores, Cookies & Cream as well as the timeless PB&J;, all jam-packed in a quarter-sized morsel—you can sample everything on the menu!

Unfortunately, there is a minimum for online delivery orders but for the lucky few who live in the “City that Never Sleeps” (and always wants to eat), you can stop by their store in SoHo and put Carrie’s (and your own!) taste buds to the test.

Each cupcake costs less than one dollar, and ten dollars for a dozen, so you definitely won’t feel the need to discriminate. With recession-proof, confectionery treats like these; I dare you to just have one.

After last week’s bathing suit post, I thought I’d suggest a new way to whip your “assets” into shape! I recently discovered Piloxing and its sassy Swedish creator, Viveca Jensen, while scouring one of the many, many magazines I devour each week. Viveca is, apparently, the newest celebrity fitness guru to hit Hollywood and after trying her workout DVD at home this week I understand why. Piloxing is a high energy fusion of boxing, Pilates and dance that works every part of your body while keeping your heart rate up and pumping.

My personal exercise routine normally consists of Pilates (both mat and machine) and intermittent cardio workouts on the elliptical machine. I have tried lots of different exercise classes and videos but this is the first that combines both cardio and strength training in a fun and challenging workout. It helps that Viveca is the opposite of your typical robotic fitness instructor. She is literally a powerhouse of energy and makes the routine super-fun (and sometimes just plain funny) with her quirky comments and silly, exuberant squeaks.

The routine is made even more challenging by use of one pound Piloxing Gloves (they come in half pound versions as well). These are currently on back order so my first go at Piloxing was sans gloves but, as a testament to its intensity, I am still sore three days later. I am going to start making this DVD part of my weekly workout regime and cannot wait to receive my one pound gloves! So give it a try and you too will feel, as Viveca says, “sleek, sexy and powerful!”

Get a preview on youtube.com.

Back in college, the days when it was difficult to wake up before noon on a Saturday, I would roll out of bed (quite literally), take a couple of aspirin, and make my way to the center of town.

When the snow started to slowly melt and students began to remember what green grass looked like, there would be a farmers’ market in the town square. Local farmers, bakers, and artisans loyally stood by their tents every week as students, faculty and locals all came together to celebrate their wares. The thought of fresh, organic, and locally grown food, enticed all walks of life, and was one of the only times that everyone came together to support the small community.

After graduation when I returned to the big city, I began to miss that small-town feeling, where one knew exactly where their food was from, and what family it supported. I’m not a strictly-organic gal at all, but I do like knowing that my food is fresh and after spending a semester living on a farm in high school, I can say that there are definite health benefits, not to mention a big boost in taste.

So, tired of paying an arm and a leg at Whole Foods I found www.LocalHarvest.org- a website devoted to finding farmers’ markets, restaurants and grocery stores that use local produce, closest to you. Just log-on and type in your zip-code and you’re halfway there. Each market, restaurant, etc is reviewed by other users and provides all the necessary information (address, days and times etc).

FarmersMarket.com is a similar site that can also help you in your search for freshness. So get out there and start reaping the delicious rewards from those who’ve toiled in the soil!

Hungry? That is one question to which I will gladly answer “yes!” more often than I’d like to admit. I love to eat and part of me loves to cook, but a bigger part of me finds cooking daunting and stressful. Too many ingredients, too many tools, and too much time are my biggest complaints. That was until the day I met Giada De Laurentis while watching the Food Network.

As testament to my love of food, I almost always watch the Food Network while working out on my elliptical machine. A strange combination, I admit, but I truly become entranced by these chefs. Their ease in the kitchen, their skill with food, their corresponding tools and the mouth-watering dishes they create transport me from the reality of my grueling 30-minute cardio routine and helps me forget the energy I have to expend to be able to eat the foods I like.

What drew me to Giada was how different she was than most other chef’s I’d seen. First of all, she is thin, attractive, fashionable and approachable. She is how I would like to imagine myself to be if I were a chef. Her recipes follow the same formula: simple ingredients and easy-to-follow directions that create accessible and delicious dishes. Healthy and simultaneously satisfying, some of my favorite Giada recipes are her Turkey Meatballs, Simple Bolognese and Chicken Saltimbocca.

A hard working girl, Giada’s show “Everyday Italian” airs twelve times a week at both 11am and 4:30pm on Food Network. She has a cookbook with the same name and has authored two other books, “Giada’s Family Dinners” and “Everyday Pasta.” I own them all and have used them extensively.

Now here’s the good news: you don’t need to buy a book to get access to Giada’s recipes – most are available on the Food Network’s website. It can’t get much easier or taste much better, so there is really no excuse not to try out a Giada recipe and get over your fear of the kitchen! I promise you will not be disappointed and you definitely won’t be hungry.

There are days when you want to smell sexy, days when you want to smell flirty, and days when you just want to smell pretty. That’s exactly what French perfumist, Annik Goutal, delivers with her delicate floral, fruity scents and charming packaging.

My favorite scent is “Petite Cherie” with its rose, peach and vanilla notes in full bloom. My father bought me my first bottle a few years ago, and I’ve been using it ever since.

You can buy Petite Cherie and other Annick perfumes at Beauty.com or, as you might want to actually smell the scent before purchasing it, they are are sold in department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and Neiman Marcus all over the states.  I had the luxury of going to one of the boutique stores in Paris which was located just down the street from my apartment when I was abroad there. With its feminine pastel colored walls, and gold trimming, you wish you could buy the store itself!

Every time I put the scent on, I can’t help but feel nostalgic. It brings me back to walking down the lovely streets of Paris, baguette in hand, and a smile on my face. With this year being the scent’s tenth anniversary, and millions of limited edition, hand painted bottles sold, I guess I can’t be the only one who stops to smell the (French) roses.

Just because Valentine’s day is over, doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve a little treat! Instead of waiting around for some guy (read: tool) to send these to you, order them for friends, or better yet—yourself! LA based and celeb fav, Compartes Chocolatier makes these dark chocolate truffles not only trendy, but dangerously tasty with their golden skull design. Infused with sinfully tempting Mexican hot chocolate spices, including cinnamon and cayenne pepper, you just might need to order a second box.

With all natural and organic ingredients, Compartes also boasts Dark Chocolate and Beer limited edition truffles that will give memories of those glorious frat party days a run for their money. In addition, their popular Honey, Peanut Butter and Sea Salt truffle will satisfy those sweet and salty cravings in one explosive bite. With orgasmic concoctions like these (and multiple ones in every box!) who needs a man? compartes.stores.yahoo.net

My friend made the honest mistake of buying the JimmyJane Ember candle with the sole purpose of having its beautifully rich and intoxicating scent permeate her apartment. Boy, was she in for a wicked and sensual surprise! Simple and non-descript candle by day, sensual massage wax by night!

With a small and elegant spout for easy pouring, your partner will be as grateful for such a stimulating indulgence as Ricky Martin was in his Livin’ La Vida Loca video. With invigorating scents like Lychee + Lapsang and Truffle + Gardenia, you can go ahead and get your “new kicks in the candle light.” Go to the website for other classy, yet naughty, adult accessories: jimmyjane.com. Now that’s hot!