Forbes has come up with a list of the worst car flops (in terms of sales) of 2011. I have barely even heard of some of the models on this list, so I guess that shows that some were indeed flops. I’m surprised to see the VW Jetta on here, though. It might not be up to snuff compared to past model years, but it’s still selling well, isn’t it?
Last month I stocked up on some winter gear in anticipation of the cold weather. Among my purchases was this Tigers crew sweatshirt by Jansport. It is made from fleece and features a screenprinted design of the official MU seal right in the middle.
The fleece is very soft — particularly on the inside, which makes this sweatshirt comfortable. It fits relatively well, though I don’t really like how long the cuffs on the sleeves are. The waistband isn’t as tight as some sweatshirts, so it looks good pulled over jeans or a pair of sweatpants.
This piece has been through the washer and dryer a couple of times, and the color has held up better than expected. There’s no visible fading yet, nor any damage to the screenprinting. However, a few threads on the sleeve have come loose — but I can’t remember if it was like that when I bought it or of the damage is a result of washing/drying. I hope the whole thing doesn’t end up unraveling anytime soon!
Anyway, I’m glad to have this sweatshirt on hand for the colder days and know it will become a staple of my winter lounge wear!
I’ve long wanted to try a bowel cleanse program as a supplement to my diet and exercise regimen to see if that would be the product to finally put me over the edge and help me lose these last few pounds. After browsing through many online sites and the nearest Whole Foods store, I decided to try something called Organic Bowel Cleanse by Renew Life.
This product is a powder that does not contain psyllium, senna, or cascara, which are very common ingredients in cleansers. Instead it has some kind of “triple fiber blend” that is supposed to help eliminate wastes and toxins without bloating, cramping, etc.
The directions say to take the product with juice or water in the morning, and then repeat in the evening as necessary. I found that once a day was all that I really required. The product worked as advertised, and though I wouldn’t exactly say that I’ve lost weight due to this cleanse, I do feel better.
After a couple weeks of daily use, I’m not sure that I need to continue at this pace. Maybe I’ll just keep it in the pantry and use it as a constipation remedy when needed. To be honest, it tastes pretty nasty and I can’t imagine having to choke this stuff down day after day after day. Why can’t these things ever taste, if not good, then at least neutral???
Anyway, if you’re looking for a safe, effective bowel/colon cleanse, give the Renew Life brand a try.
I’ve been trying to find more educational toys for my son so he’s not always just playing video games when he’s at home. He seems to really enjoy science at school, so after browsing around, I decided to purchase this Snap Circuits Jr. kit by Elenco.
Snap Circuits Jr. is supposed to teach kids how electricity works. It comes with a variety of parts that snap onto a grid (and each other), as well as an experiment book that has blueprints for 100 “projects” that kids can make.
My son absolutely LOVES this toy! It took him a while to get the hang of reading the prints (they’re simple, but he’s never had experience with that type of thing), but once he did, he started enjoying the whole process. He often builds stuff by himself, and when something doesn’t work right, he studies the print until he finds his mistake. Plus, from the questions I’ve asked him regarding directionality and closed circuits, it seems that he IS actually starting to understand electricity a bit better.
His favorite projects are the ones that involve the mini fan blade (you can see it in the picture above). If the project gets the fan blade spinning fast enough, it will fly up in the air when the power is shut off. My son loves that!
Anyway, he hasn’t worked through all 100 projects yet, but when he does, we’ll probably check Elenco’s site for more projects or an upgrade kit. It was only $17 when I bought it, which is a bargain in my opinion. This toy is definitely recommended!
Okay, even dedicated chronic consumers like me have issues with holiday shopping. Namely, the malls are so congested and there’s so much traffic everywhere that shopping becomes a chore rather than an enjoyable activity.
Fortunately, there’s always the Internet. Thanks to modern technology, few of us actually have to venture outside our homes for holiday shopping. Instead, we can just sit at our computers, browse through products at any time of the day or night, and order whatever we see fit. There are also sites that offer coupons to help add to the savings and keep costs under control.
As an example, I know my brother wants a big tool chest this year. I don’t know much about tools, but I know Craftsman is supposed to be good. So I’ve been keeping an eye out for sears coupons at DropDownDeals.com that I can use when I’m finally ready to make my purchase. Right now there’s a coupon that will get me an additional $70 off the Tools Deal of the Day, which I think is a pretty amazing number. It would be awesome if I actually got to use that coupon!
Electronic coupons really make online shopping worthwhile. They allow you to save even more money on prices that are typically already lower than retail, and that’s something that really matters in today’s economy.
Anyway, remember that you don’t have to let holiday shopping bring you down by adding to your stress levels. Just shop online, use electronic coupons, and leave the hassles and headaches to everyone else!
We always try to save money on our winter heating bills, so we keep a bunch of throw blankets on our couches and chairs in the living room. That way, when we’re just relaxing in front of the TV or with a book, we can warm up with a blanket instead of feeling the need to turn the thermostat up. This approach actually works pretty well!
Anyway, we periodically have to replace the blankets because of wear and tear (and because the dogs get to them), so this time around I decided to buy a Missouri plush blanket. It measures 48″ x 60″ (which is a great size for me, but might be small for other people) and is made from some kind of ultra-soft plush material. It is predominantly black, but has gold trim along two edges as well as two tigerhead logos, one in the middle and one in the corner.
This blanket is VERY warm and comfortable, and has quickly become my favorite. It’s the one I reach for immediately whenever I sit in the living room, and by now the rest of the family knows that I’ve got dibs on it! I LOVE this blanket!
I love flash drives and I love the Blackhawks, so it’s really no surprise that I walked into Best Buy one day and walked out with this 8GB laser-engraved Blackhawks flash drive by Tribeca.
This flash drive is only 2.5″ long and has a swivel cap to protect the USB connector from dirt, dust, and debris. The logo is laser-engraved so it won’t wear off, and the product came with a lanyard so I can wear it around my neck if I don’t feel like shoving it in my pocket or backpack.
I paid $15 for this product, which is admittedly a bit expensive for 8GB of storage. But as I’ve demonstrated repeatedly in the past, I’m more than willing to spend some extra bucks to support my teams and schools!