The Chronic Consumer

Jumping rope is one of the best cardio exercises around, but as a 35-year-old adult, I would feel a bit silly going out in my driveway to perform this routine in front of all my neighbors. So when I heard about a “ropeless jump rope” device called JumpSnap, I thought it was a brilliant idea.

JumpSnap consists of two plastic handles that allow users to simulate the action of jumping rope. When you twirl the handles, a little noisemaker (which can be turned on or off) makes the clacking sound that you would expect from a real jump rope, and the LCD display keeps track of jumps, calories, burned, and the amount of time you’ve been working out.

JumpSnap comes in a complete package that contains DVDs to help lead you through workouts, small weights that can be put into the handles to increase the intensity of the exercise, and a travel bag for the handles.

I would love to buy this product so I can begin jumping rope in the privacy or my own home, or in a hotel room when I’m vacationing, etc. I can’t believe no one thought of this idea before!

My husband is in the market for a new scooter. We bought a used one about a year ago to help reduce fuel consumption and costs back when gas prices were skyrocketing. But it was only a 50cc model that was good for short trips to the store and what not. Now Jerry wants a bigger scooter, one that’s practically a motorcycle and can carry two people, reach higher speeds, etc.

As we were looking around at the different products, we came across this picture of Brad Pitt riding a Yamaha scooter with Angelina Jolie in tow. With all the kids they have, you’d think they’d take safety a bit more seriously and put a helmet on. Or maybe they’ve already got the best motorcycle accident lawyers Los Angeles has to offer on retainer so they don’t have to worry about things like that. Still, it’s not a very good example to set for others!

Anyway, Jerry is leaning towards a Suzuki at this point. I’m not sure what model name is, but it looks similar to the Yamaha that Brad’s riding. Personally, I don’t think it matters much which one we buy. I mean, how different can one scooter be from another?

Now that the college football season is over, it’s a good time to stock up on apparel such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, hats, jackets and more. Retailers will want to move the remainder of their 2008 merchandise in order to make room for the ‘09 stuff, so you’re bound to run into some good deals. And since college football products don’t change that much from year to year, you won’t be missing out by buying these “older” products.

Personally, I’m planning on purchasing a bunch of items to give away for birthdays and next Christmas. It’s going to take some time to work out what everyone’s favorite teams are so I can buy the right things, but fortunately, most of the people on my list appreciate sports gifts, so I’m sure they’ll love whatever I get.

Plus, when the NFL season ends in a couple of weeks, I’ll have even more good deals to choose from. Maybe I’ll even buy a couple more replica jerseys for myself along the way!