The Chronic Consumer

OK, I did something I rarely ever do, which is buy a piece of exercise equipment advertised on television. There have been so many different home workout fads in the past 20 years or so that I can barely keep track of them all. I never indulged in any Ab Rollers or Thigh Masters before, but I thought the Perfect Push Up looked pretty good. I read some reviews, saw that almost all of them were overwhelmingly positive, and decided to try the set for myself.

I can’t review it now, of course. I’m going to try it for at least a couple months before coming back to post my thoughts on it. Let’s hope the product works as advertised!

If you have young children, then blowing soapy bubbles through those little plastic, circular wands is a warm-weather staple. All kids love bubbles, and colored bubbles are even more fun, which is why Crayola’s line of colored bubble soap has been selling so well. The problem, though, is that the concoction might not be as washable as the company claims. Check out this article from the Wall Street Journal about how a number of parents are complaining that the product leaves children’s hands, as well as household surfaces, stained by the coloring agent.

OK, so apparently the stuff does come out after repeated scrubbings, but that’s not something I want to deal with around here! I’ll stay away from this product until a new, improved version comes along.

I really need to update my cookware. Seriously, I’m still using stuff that my mother bought for me when I moved into my very first apartment in college — which was nearly 20 years ago already! I was browsing through a site this afternoon that has a decent le creuset sale going on right now, so this would be the perfect time to get new pots and pans. Too bad I’m a bit low on cash these days, otherwise I would have placed an order already. As it is, I might have to wait a couple months before buying what I need.

Sbarro is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an effort to reorganize and eliminate about $200 million in debt. The company says customers will still be able to redeem gift cards and coupons at all locations during this reorganization phase.

I haven’t been to Sbarro in a while, but I used to eat there all the time when I lived down the street from a mall. Their food was good and reasonably priced, so it’s kind of sad to learn that they’re having trouble. Execs blame the problems on lower mall traffic due to the economy, which I can definitely attest to. This same mall that I used to go to all the time seems like a freaking ghost town these days, with empty storefronts and few customers.

I somehow managed to get a stye in my eye. The whole thing is swollen really big and is bothering the hell out of me. I tried putting a warm compress on it all day, but that did nothing to relieve either the swelling or the pain, so I took the next step and bought these homeopathic eye drops. I hope they do the trick, otherwise it looks like I’ll have to pay for a doctor’s visit, and that’s $100 I don’t have right now!