Goooooal! Got the World Cup fever? Join the crowd. From house parties to packed bars, most everyone I know is partaking in the soccer festivities. If you're thinking of hosting your own soiree, consider kicking it up a notch with some of these fabulous fútbol gems in this week's edition of Etsy Finds!
Love the World Cup but feel like you're going to be attacked by locusts or bees unless you mute the television? You're not alone. The vuvuzela noisemakers add to the sporty atmosphere, but to many viewers, they are just annoyances. 
There's a website where people are voting to ban them from the event — ridding the stadium of the fanfare is currently winning by a landslide. As a result, earplug sales have skyrocketed in South Africa. Methinks there's a conspiracy between the two manufacturers. Seriously, though, I have thought of some new uses for the vuvuzelas in case there is an overabundance of the buzzy bits or people are looking for a unique way to showcase their extraordinary souvenir.
If you still haven't been struck by World Cup fever, just check out how excited Shakira and Alicia Keys are to be at the opening game between South Africa and Mexico. Shakira's been live tweeting from the games, and so has will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas, and John Legend too. I love seeing their pics!
Between the World Cup and NBA Finals, many of us will be spending a good amount of time inside this weekend. And since it's super easy to overindulge while watching TV, keep a batch of healthy snacks on hand like kale chips and polenta pizza instead of the usual game-watching fare. Also, see if there is anywhere near your home hosting a public viewing of the games and make a point to walk or bike there. Besides, nothing beats watching a game with a big group of people!
David Beckham suited up in South Africa yesterday to attend an event on behalf of England for countries interested in hosting the 2018 World Cup, and today he was in a uniform to join his country's team at a training session. The action at this year's tournament officially kicked off last night with a star-studded concert, and the first games are today. The American team will take the field tomorrow against David's countrymen — even though he won't be on the field, he's covering things as a correspondent for Yahoo and posted his first video log. The soccer bonanza is going to be full of sexy players and unprecedented shirtlessness, and Geek has the scoop on how to follow the action. It's a worldwide phenomenon that only comes once every four years, so tell us — do you have World Cup fever?
Red, blue, white, yellow, and green are some of the most common colors seen in flags across the world. Use these to create a vibrant look for a World Cup party. Set the food on different-shaped platters and serve the punch in an easy-to-access punch bowl. Select glasses that can hold both punch and beer. Fill a bucket with ice and beer and place it on the ground near the glasses. Hang a World Cup bracket on the wall so guests can keep track of teams and groups. Throw in a few daisy arrangements, a soccer ball, and printed cocktail napkins and you're ready to party!
Are you excited for the World Cup? How will you celebrate?
Like the competitors in the World Cup, the menu for my viewing party consists of dishes from all over the globe. For the drinks, I'm offering one sparkling specialty cocktail and assortment of beers. The signature drink is a punch that features Italian spirits: Galliano, Aperol, and Prosecco. When floated on top, fresh citrus and berries provide a festive touch to the concoction. I'll stock my fridge with beers from participating countries. Beverages and More has a great selection of imported beers. Tecate from Mexico, Becks from Germany, Fosters from Australia, Quilmes from Argentina, Bass from England — there are too many options to choose from!
Learn the easy punch recipe after the jump.
Soccer on this side of the Atlantic uses different lingo than our English-speaking allies — most obvious is the name change from football since we have our own homegrown game of the same name. With the World Cup starting tomorrow, chances are high Americans will be watching British sportscasters delivering the details of the games. Are you ready for the the sporty lingo that is often lost in translation? Take this short quiz to see.
Don't forget to enter LilSugar's giveaway contest to win a father/son combo of Ralph Lauren World Cup polo shirts of your fave team.
When planning a World Cup viewing party, there are lots of fun options for the menu. You could serve classic American game day food, or if you're not rooting for the US, create a menu based our your team's country. Then you could always offer South African cuisine in honor of the host country. Or you could do what I'm doing and have each course represent a different country. The spread of appetizers consists of Spanish, Mexican, American, and French dishes.
For dessert, I'm turning to Greece. What's on the menu? Baklava! The Greek favorite consists of layers of flaky phyllo dough with chopped nuts and honey. I'll also pick up a couple bars of Toblerone chocolate for guests who have a super sweet tooth. It's from another competing country, Switzerland! To get the simple baklava recipe, keep reading
