Satin Stella clutch

I don't own an evening bag. The best I have is a gold Coach hobo bag that's pretty large. But it's gold, so that makes me think evening.

I could use a clutch, and I've always thought Kate Spade would be the answer...but they're so expensive, and I would so rarely use it.

JCrew just came out with this: Satin Stella clutch. Satin, bright, adorable. $88 - Totally acceptable.

Should I do it? Ehh...I'm so frugal.

Vladstudio.com

Completely adorable (free!) wallpapers available at Vladstudio.com. Register to get High Res images and Dual Monitors - $19.99 for a Lifetime Membership.

http://gethuman.com/

Gethuman.com, an excellent resource to circumvent automated phone systems for almost any company you'd want to get in touch with. They even have Netfix. For anyone who has ever tried to track down Netflix, and their customer service line, you'll know what a shining discovery this is.

Oscar Bond - My Salon

Oscar Bond is located in SoHo, at 42 Wooster Street. You walk in on a runway and step down into the modern space, where apple computers hang from the ceiling; you can check your email while you wait.

All of the stylists all have a personality-look that ranges from Hipster to Barney's. Prices range from $85 - $200. Oscar is $200. To me, all of the stylists are incredibly talented and you'll look like you got your hair cut in Italy. The 85$ crew is completely capable of giving you the best haircut of your life.

When you call to make an appointment, tell them about your hair, they'll make a recommendation. Ask how much that person is. Last time they booked me w/ a $120 director and I only found out when I paid. Still, great cut.

Bonus: This salon is wild about giving away things. If you're on their mailing list, you'll get special offers all the time - free pedicures, manicures, massages, products. Also for your birthday. If you refer anyone you get $25 off your next service. I really like this.

SHAYNE KITCHEN TABLE - Pottery Barn

I'm so in love with this kitchen table from Pottery Barn. In a larger space, the wings fold down and create the perfect buffet or wine bar. In a small space, the table pulls double duty with the two storage shelves beneath.

At $700, this is well out of the Ikea budget. But overall, a lasting piece that's worth the investment.

Flor - Martha Stewart Designs

I really love the idea of inexpensive customizable rugs. Flor's been doing them for quite some time (at 19.7" x 19.7 per tile), their prices range from $4 a square foot to...maybe $6 a square foot?

Martha Stewart just added a host of designs to their already robust offerings. Obviously I'm in love.

They're offensively easy to install. Much like putting a post-it, anywhere. Even wall-to wall jobs seem like an after-school project.

Choose any six tiles as samples, for $5.

Ed Freeman: Desert Reality

Ed Freeman's Desert Reality reminds me of the days when photographers had to wander around and wait for the perfect lighting to get the perfect shots. Take that, Photoshopers.

$15 on Half.com. 80 pages of wonder, any of which should be framed.

Apple's New Keyboard

A side shot of Apple's new aluminum keyboard. Wireless option available, in case you felt like cuddling with it at bed time.

Which I will be.

Numbers

New addition to Apple's iWork - Numbers. Spreadsheets the Mac way. In true Mac form, Numbers makes Excel beautiful, simple and personal, all while retaining and enhancing functionality. I highly encourage Mac users to look over the Numbers Product Overview.

There's even a host of tutorials for...our parents. At $79 the iWork suite is a steal, and it's compleatly compatible with Word / Excel / Powerpoint Documents.

Download a 30-Day Free Trial of iWork.

The new iMac

Need I say more? Her slogan, "You can never be too thin, or too powerful," should be on my headstone. A total redesign from the ground up, and a price drop! She starts at $1,199 for a 20-Inch (which is what the 17-Inch used to cost). That's not factoring the Education discount, students and teachers, or the company discount you may be entitled to. Ask your benefits specialist, and expect 10%. No reason to buy this without a student discount - everyone knows a student, or has a student ID card. If you by via the online education store, you may not even need ID.

I actually gave them my report card when buying my last iPod.

She's packing iLife '08, unrealistically incredible software for all of your photo, movie, web making needs.

My boyfriend is a big "Dell Value" proponent. We went through Dell's website packing on the new iMac's features onto their smallest CPU computer (taking up my desk space?) and came out even - He had equated "Microsoft Works" to "iLife + iWork", which is an embarrassing lie. And then, oops, we forgot to add the incredible web cam. Winner: iMac, best computer on the market.

I'm waiting till October when Leapord comes to to buy mine.

Sperry Top-Siders

I love these shoes (on men). Restoration Hardware has a few pairs left in Size 9 - $19.99.

Thomas O'Brien Towels

I'm willing to spend money on smaller luxuries: French jelly and towels in particular. In this case, I've found a towel worthy of the luxury category but comfortably nestled in the affordable isle at Target.

Thomas O'Brien Towels are $6.99 - $9.99, and I couldn't for the life of me tell the difference between this and a $100 competitor. I don't know what Thomas does to make these towels so fluffy, but god bless him.

Free shipping at Target.com with a $50 minimum purchase.

Banana Republic - Free Hemming

Banana Republic - an inescapable staple of New York Fashion. It's actually in my office building. It's the only chain store within a 5 block radius of my west village pad. There was a time in my life when Banana Republic full on dominated my wardrobe - I found comfort and safety in the the ubiquity and low-level trendiness available to me for $78 a sweater.

This year I've made a continual effort not to shop at Banana Republic. In fact since I've started my first full time job, I haven't bought a single item. I've instead replaced them with BCBG Max Azara. Which is decidedly cooler, especially when I'm raiding the 70% off rack (which exists only in SoHo).

But I've come to realize that I do miss one aspect. Free hemming. I'm short, I get pants hemmed - This service is the flame, I am but a moth. So this winter, I'm coming back. I'm buying my pants here. Size 0 fits me perfectly, and don't tell me its vanity sizes - which a store clerk actually did once. Oh my god, fire yourself.

Domino Magazine

It's hard to imagine how one publication could capture the essence of modern and classic design so perfectly. I would live in any page of any issue. The articles are well written. The pieces features range in price from Ikea to Look But Don't Touch. I've racked my brain with so many amazing ideas for embellishing any place I live. I consider this magazine to be my best educator in interior design - absolutely essential.

The subscription is $17 / Year from Amazon.com. I've ordered subscriptions from Amazon before and they take a while to get started...you may better off ordering from DominoMag.com directly.

The website itself is a great source for ideas, but not so much detailed information. They'll show you a picture of a beautiful bedroom, but won't tell you where to get any of the pieces - in the magazine, they reveal their sources.

Harry Potter Wii Game

What an amazing concept. Harry Potter (favorite thing ever) + Wii (favorite thing sometimes). I'm ripping off the packaging at work hours before I can play. Mine includes one child movie ticket. What fan cares about HP so much as to buy the game, but has not yet seen the movie? Also what child is going alone. Boo. Whatever, Harry is mine!

The graphics are no less than absolutely amazing. Hogwarts is rendered in full, with lighting effects that stun. There are no load times as you run around the castle, entering different rooms. You're just in another 3D room. Everything in the castle works they way its supposed to - the moving staircases, which are annoying. The paintings that talk to you for far too long before letting you in. You feel Harry's frustration as he interacts with these things.

So that's all well and good, but there are some factors that are irking me. Harry really only has four points of view: straight, back, right, left. This is a major blow to game play. It's really quite difficult to position harry in front of an object that is not in one of those four pre-set locations. Even more difficult to aim your wand at something and move it fluidly. A lot of wandwork seems blind, and the game seems to compensate for your lack of aim by guessing what you want to do and letting you do it.

It doesn't feel nearly as tight as Zelda as far as game play. But I continue to give it a shot, since I love the story.

M.A.C. Cosmetics - Eye Primer

Last summer when I was rolling in paid internship dough, I skipped my way down to SoHo to visit the M.A.C. store - National Headquarters. $200 later, I was laden with four new eye shadows (of my choosing, but stored in one compact case), eye liner (pot form), brushes, mascara, blush, foundation, and a new specimen to me - eye primer.

It was $17, and the first on the chopping block when I heard my grand total, but my "artist" was standing beside me telling me that if I didn't buy that primer, then I might as well not buy the shadow or liner. Ouch.

Fine, I bagged it. The next day I dedicated at least 20 min to applying my new loot. First on, the eye primer. I got mine in "Bare Nude" -- it comes in a little paint tube (which I couldn't find on the website). It's creamy, like solid foundation, but it goes on so light you can't even feel/see it. Starting to be $17 of the emperors new clothes...

I put my eye make up on on top of it. There. Ok, no difference.

Nine hours later....no difference.

I'm sold, the eye primer is an absolutely essential (and secret?) make up bag element. Your make up will not smudge or come off until you've taken it off. I've accidentally slept with this on, and woken up ready for a wedding. Very impressive.

West Elm - Parsons Desk with Drawers

I've seen this desk one too many times in one too many design magazines, making it credible enough for me to post a recommendation, though I do not (yet) own it. At $299, the Parson's Desk clocks as one of the most versatile, lasting, affording pieces available in the mass-produced modern furniture market.

I think if you're going modern, or even eclectic, you can't go wrong with this desk. It works in a hallway, in the bedroom, in the office, or even as a small apartment's answer to a dining room table - complete with two drawers for placemats and silverware. Imagine this behind the couch with two square ottomans underneath. Perfect TV dinner space.

My preference is the high-gloss white.

JCrew.com - Sale!

The Metallic-leather knotted Capri sandals are $30 and the Solid classic pique polo is $20. I've been raiding the JCrew sale (again). We're in between summer and fall, and deals are to be had!

I also picked up a $6 ribbon belt, two more $15 shelf bra tanks (not on sale, but still cheap). And two stripped work shirts. All items under $30.

On the whole, I think JCrew's prices are absolutely outrageous and I would never by anything retail, when the sales are consistently this awesome and happen about half way through the season. Besides, JCrew's seasonality is so early you can always find cheap pieces for fall.

Jonathan Adler: My Prescription For Anti-Depressed Living

I discovered Jonathan Adler when my College Roommate brought home a signed copy of this book. Immediately, I fell in love. A Jewish Gay Decorator from Miami. Dreams do come true.

Jonathan's designs are so approachable. They're loud and personal. There may be a ceramic statue of boobs by the fireplace, or a portrait of the family dog above the written words "Milo, won't poop in the rain".

I don't think I could go as modern as he does in some spaces, but others are classic and beautiful.

His designs aren't entirely unaffordable either. On a scale from Ikea to Not in My Lifetime, he's hovering above Pottery Barn...probably right in line with Williams Senoma Home.

He also has an inexpensive line of bedding, plates, and bathroom ware sold at Bed Bath and Beyond.

VistaPrint

I used to run my own little invitation factory. Mothers would come to me with blank invitations they'd picked up at the local stationary store, or my favorite - Katie Paperie, and I would get to work in Microsoft Word, formatting, picking colors, printing ever so carefully.

To be honest, it was a lot of work. And this year when I was tasked with creating the Invite to my Graduation Party, I sought an easier way. I found VistaPint by chance. They seemed to have an extensive array of printing options, adorable templates, and great prices. I could even upload my own graphic...should I want to get that involved.

I chose one of the modern wedding templates, made some fonts bigger, moved some things around, and had 50 shipped to my office for $20. They arrived in three days, no expediated shipping costs. They were great. Not like, wedding quality, but, great for what I wanted. The envelopes were plain white, which I regretted. Splurge for colored envelopes.

All in all, amazingly easy, great quality, cheap cheap cheap. I'm endlessly tempted to design my own personal stationary, note pads, note cards...ah!

Oh and what a good idea for presents.

eBay Express - There is life after death.

I bought these boots two years ago at a Michael Kors Sample Sale at his corporate office in mid town. I paid $100, and I was/am in love. They lived with me day in and day out through two New York Winters. They were the first pair of shoes I took to my local shoe repair, begging Michael to save them. He scolded me for not brining them in before I had destroyed them - They're 100% leather, they needed protection.

I berated myself for not buying two pairs (like I've ever done that). They're so comfortable, they'll never go out of style. I'm such a fool.

I'm browsing eBay express today. I see my boots, my size, for $42. What? WHAT?

Stunned, I loving reach for my credit card. They're being shipped tomorrow.

Forever 21 - Summer Dresses

This dress is $27, probably one of the most expensive dresses at Forever 21, and completely 1960's adorable. Forever 21 could be named "21" for the abundance of $21 price tags, and for the most part, everything dress related is fashionable - casual only, though I did find a black Jackie-o cut dress that is serving me well at work.

The physical store drives me crazy. Everything is messy, the girls who shop there are young and ruthless and there is a pervasive lack of "S" and "XS" which makes me feel like I'm attending a bad afterparty.

The secret is the website - $7.00 Shipping, but who cares when you're buying outfits for $15?

All these years I knew a jersey dress shouldn't cost $117 (hello Banana Republic), and I was right.

My Recommendation: Dressy Tops / Dresses - Summer Only, and stick with 100% Cotton.

SIGG Water Bottles

I got a SIGG water bottle at a coportate event. Mine has a screw top, which deterred me from using it for a few days. Then I found out a could buy a "drink this beverage easily" water bottle top (see above), and I became happier with the brand.

So I washed out my SIGG with warm water and soap and filled it up at our cold filtered water station.

Immediate thoughts:

• Freakishly lightweight
• Creates no aftertaste (any taste) in the water whatsoever
• Bottle gets extremely cold, extremely fast, if you have a cold beverage in it
• Warm Al Gore feelings - SIGG bottles are recyclable

Other fun facts:

• Supposed to last 20+ years
• Lots of awesome designs and choices
• More adorable design choices for kids
  
• Can hold sticky beverages like Apple Juice without issues
• Dishwasher safe

At $20 a bottle, this makes an awesome gift, to yourself or friends!

Coinstar

I keep all my lose change in an IKEA jar on my desk. There's been massive overflow, and I relented today and looked up my local Coinstar. Up the block on 6th and W4th street, excellent.

I put all my coins into Ziploc bags, and headed up to Duane Reade. I'm given the choice of getting cash back, and sacrificing 9% of my loot, or choosing between an Amazon.com, iTunes, Old Navy etc. gift card. I opted for Amazon.com. There's something about not knowing how much money is in there that makes you want to spend it as quickly as possible, in full.

Putting the coins in is so fun. You're in a state of glazed wonder as the ching ching ching is translated into a climbing dollar figure on the kiosk.

We're done - $86.12! My Amazon.com gift code prints out on my receipt.

I ordered Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Wii Game (oh my god!!!), 7mm Gold Ball Earrings, and a Business 2.0 subscription. $3 on my credit card. Go Coinstar.

IKEA - MJÖD

IKEA's MJOD "Beer Glasses" are $6.99 for a six pack. We have a set of these glasses and they're beautiful. Better yet, they double as the perfect trumpet vase. Dishwasher Safe.

Perilla - Resturant Review

I was (am) a huge fan of Top Chef - Bravo's answer to Survivor, with a Hell's Kitchen bent. The first season I watched soft spoken Harold Dieterle cook his way past angry evil Tiffany, winning 100K, a Kenmore Kitchen, and a feature in Food and Wine Magazine (yes, I memorized the prizes). The most unfortunate aspect of the show was that I couldn't taste anything. Hold me.

Three months later I see Harold sitting on my stoop. We exchanged pleasantries. I found out weeks later he was opening a restaurant on my block. But rumor failed me. Months past, no Harold.

I found his MySpace page. He's opened a restaurant "Perilla" on Jones street, a block away. Excellent - I called to make reservations for that Friday. 11:30PM Reservations, no way...put me on the "In case something opens up" list.

Something did open up, and at 7:30PM, we were seated.

The Review: Out of this world. The wine list, lovingly crafted. The decor, laid back, soft, contemporary. The wait staff, brilliant. The food, beyond belief. The price, standard - Entrées $20-$32

Highlight: Harold was cooking that night. And, every night.

Make reservations two weeks in advance.
9 Jones St. (212)-929-6868
New Yorker Review

Swaptree

I signed up for a Swaptree beta invite bout a year ago (read about it in Business 2.0), and actually received my invitation about a month ago, pre-public release of the site. Swaptree.com went live to the public on July 4th 2007.

Here's how it works:

• List - Your stuff, and stuff you want.
• Relax - Swaptree finds people who want your stuff, and finds people who has stuff you want.
• Choose- Browse available swaps, everything is rated at equal value. Awesome factor? Swaps can involve up to eight people. That's one fancy algorithm.
• Swap - Print out pre-paid postage (charged to your credit card, really cheap), and swap.

There, you got something you wanted for free, and you gave up something you didn't want. You do pay postage, but it's minimal and since the other guy does it, I don't feel bad.

My Review: I swapped a DVD for a Book. My shipper was late shipping the book and didn't use the print out postage option, so I couldn't track the package (otherwise it's an awesome feature). There's no "mark as shipped" link for shippers, so that made me anxious as well. Finally I got the book and it was in crummier condition than listed, so I gave her a bad review.

Still, that could have happened on any site (Half.com, Amazon Marketplace).

I think Swaptree will work much better when there's more people on the site - Currently, unless you're posting a Sex in the City Season 6 DVD Set, your swaps are pretty limited. Best Sellers are good loot though - Easily swapped with other Best Sellers.

Overall Potential to be awesome, needs a very large community to work, and seems to be headed in that direction.

Bonus: Greasemonkey script that lives on Amazon.com pages, happily telling you if what you're searching for you can get for free on Swaptree, given your "I have" inventory.

Target Retirement Funds

I recently read a CNN Money Article talking about the 70 Best Mutual Funds. Vanguard reins across the board with regards expense ratios and returns. This article was a critical step in me moving my individual accounts from Schwab to Vanguard, where my employer retirement account already resides.

Without digging in too deeply to all the areas mentioned (Active Funds, Index Funds, ETFs, Target Retirement Funds), I'm going to focus on the Target Retirement Funds. I think that Target Retirement Funds are an exceptional option for those who are new to investing. They're a simple way to get on the right track with retirement, and require no balancing effort on your part.

These types of funds are special because they're an all-in-one balanced package, that will readjust with you (automatically) with every stage of retirement. When you're young, the fund is aggressive, and mostly allocated to the stock market. Around the time you turn 30, most target funds will begin to shift towards a larger bond load. This trend will continue into your 40's and so on, until you're retired, at which point you're almost entirely bonds and cash. Your money remains protected from risk at a time when you'll need to begin withdrawing.



Which Target Retirement Fund is right for you?

VFIFX - Vanguard Target Retirement 2050 has a .21% Expense Ratio, and the best returns of any funds listed here - granted we're looking at a very short history. $3000 Investment Minimum. No Load, No Fee.

SWERX - Schwab Target 2040 Fund has a .94% Expense Ratio, and a $100 Investment Minimum - a highly redeeming quality. No Load, No Fee.

TRRKX - T. Rowe Price 2045 has a .76% Expense Ratio, and a $1,000 Minimum to open an account, with a $50 investment minimum in this fund. No Load, No Fee.

I like Vanguard's the best - The expense ratio is very important, as it's the only annual price you pay for being in the fund. If you can't afford the $3000 Vanguard Minimum, go for Schwab's $100 entry fee (lowered from $500 earlier this year). Schwab is also very customer friendly and hands on. I had a good experience with them.

Long Beach Island - Weekend Getaway

Long Beach Island resides off the Jersey Shore, about a two hours away from Manhattan without traffic and a little bit of speeding. I'm a fan of heading down around 9PM. My boyfriend's parents have a house in Ship Bottom, on the bay side of the island, complete with boat, kayaks, hammocks, scrabble, chess, a ten minute walk to the beach, and a purposeful lack of electronics - no TV, no AC...

The town of Ship Bottom is reined by Mom and Pop shops of every beachy variety (mini golf, ice cream, snack shacks), you won't be at a loss for daily or nightly activities - be it for a weekend or for a summer. Ship Bottom also touts the best bagels I've ever (ever) had - Bageleddies (18th Street and Long Beach Boulevard). You have to get them before 12, when they're warm.

How to Get There: Car

Est. Time to Get There: 2 Hours

Highlights: Bageleddies

Pottery Barn Paint

No secret I'm pretty crazy about Pottery Barn. For all my musings about contemporary design, I can't help flipping through this catalogue and thinking "Ah, this is my living room." Still, I can't afford anything, so, there is no pottery barn in my apartment. Maybe one day. My boyfriend got the velvet curtains and hardware for his room and it's so serene - Pictured below.



To me, what really brings this room together is the paint. We used the (new since 2006) Pottery Barn paint line - Greenbrier Beige for the walls and Copley Gray for the trim. This was the first room I've done where I've used a darker shade for the trim (or, anything shy of white). The results were really wonderful. My local Ace Hardware worker Mark tells me that 95% of the paint he mixes is either white, or some very very light pastel. To me, why are you wasting your time and money (and effort) painting a room "almost" white. If you're painting, paint a color.
My living room is also painted in a Pottery Barn color - Wethersfield Moss, (I painted this before Pottery Barn had colors - they just so happen to include the green I used in their first paint collection...now, that's thinking alike.) Pictured below.

Since their first collection, they've come out with new colors every season. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of seasonal colors, since I'm not painting every six months, and I don't have seasonal houses - beach house, etc.

Overall, I don't think you can go wrong with the Pottery Barn Paint line, made by Benjamin Moore and sold at Ace Hardware.

Biore Daily Deep Cleaning Pore Cleansing Cloths

I've been hooked on these cleansing clothes since High School. This what I like about them:

• They're a fast, easy way to remove all of your make-up (eye make-up included).
• They remove dirt and oil.
• They're not cold water, scrubbing soap, dripping, where's my towel (that isn't clean) ah experience.

I know they're sterilized, and they don't hurt your eyes so you can really dig in there with your hands and get all that mascara off. Some brands have acne medicine in them too - I'm fine w/ those. I'm also on board with the drug store version of these, because they're relatively expensive.

The 2 Refill Pack at Drugstore.com is only $9.99 - If you can snag some free shipping, this is the way to go.

Victoria's Secret Foldover Yoga Pants

While we're on the theme of Yoga. I bought these Foldover Yoga Pants from Victoria's Secret (online) several months ago. They were "2 for $40" - Inexpensive, amazingly flattering, amazingly comfortable.

They're now my go-to pants for the beach, the I just got home from work, and the gym.

Also great that you can order them in one of three lengths (30" inseam, 32" inseam, 34" inseam). I'm 5'2" and consistently getting everything hemmed for another $20 - Not in this case! The 30" inseam fit perfectly.

When I bought them there were more color options available, but the standards are still there. Still, I highly recommend these.

Ordering Rx's Directly From Your Insurer

A major maven milestone the day I learned how much money I could save by ordering my Rx's directly from Cigna (my healthcare provider). My employer offered me three choices as far as health care providers - Blue Cross PPO, Cigna PPO, and Cigna HMO. To me they read $40 a Month / $40 a Month / $0 a Month...

I went with Cigna HMO, 0$ a Month. It was really an amazing stack up deal - I pay nothing for pretty much everything except regular check ups - which have 10$ co-pays, and must be with an in-network doctor. I pay either $10 / $20 / $35 at the local drugstore for my Rx's - Depending on if they're generic, brand name, or really special brand name.

I take two prescriptions - Seasonale (Birth Control) and Zyrtec (Allergies). My drug store was charging me $30 for a pack of Seasonale's generic (3 Mo. Supply), and $105 for a 90 day supply of Zyrtec - Which doesn't have a generic, and is in the $35 really special brand name bracket.

To make a long story short - Cigna.com quoted me $20 for 90 days of (Generic) Seasonale, and $20 for (Generic) Allegra - Almost Zyrtec. Free Shipping, No Sales Tax. They charge your credit card (oo, points!), and deliver your Rx's automatically. You can order refills online - Cigna will call your doctor to confirm.

Current Monthly Spend on Rx's - $45
New Monthly Spend on Rx's - $9

Yearly Savings - $432 + Saved Sales Tax

My Recommendation: If you're insured, look into this.

iTunes Podcast: Yogadownload.com

I'm really into my Yoga teacher - Kim (NYSC, Verick Street, Thursday's @ 7:30). She's an 85lb contortionist and amazingly sweet and forgiving of my "I'm a foot away from touching my toes" flexibility level. But, Kim only teaches one night a week, and Yoga is turning out to be the one thing at the gym I really enjoy, so in the spirit of that, I'm looking for a band-aid pod-cast to keep me Kim'mafied Friday through Monday.

Exploring the free podcast world of iTunes, I downloaded "YogaDownload.com - 20 Min Yoga sessions." I think there's only five sessions entirely, not like a new one every week. YogaDownload.com sells these podcasts, so I can't imagine they just post them all on iTunes for free.

The instructor is very Kim - She speaks slowly, she's encouraging, she praises me. The free classes are not Level 1 beginner - You'll have to take a few Yoga classes and see people doing the poses to know what she's talking about. I'd say these are at the intermediate level - For people who understand what the poses should look and feel like, but she's not asking you to do a lotus or headstand.

The website also has a helpful picture download of all the poses mentioned.

Half.com - Recycle Income

I've made over $375 on Half.com in the past six months. This is why I love Half.com:

• No Listing Fee
• Listing Never Expires
• 100% Shipping Reimbursement - They credit you more than you need
  
• Easy Bulk Entry - ISBN Number, Condition, Price - They give you gauge, based on what's listed
• Direct Deposits!

Could this get easier? Everything I own with an ISBN number is on Half.com (except Harry Potter). It sits there, it sells, I make money, directly deposited into WaMu! These things add up. I've made an average of $62 a month, and I feel no loss - I feel a less cluttered apartment. Thumbs up for Half.com.

iPod Shuffle: New Favorite Thing

I may be behind the times on this one - The iPod Shuffle (this model) did come out, what, a year ago? But I never got it because it was $80, and I was so hooked on hand picking my songs, playlists - I need options.

I got my iPod Shuffle yesterday (a gift), and I learned very quickly that (a) I do not need options, nor do I want them (b) I need, and want, and love, this postage stamp portability, like nothing else. Forget buying a puppy, I have an iPod Shuffle, and oh I could just eat it right up.

So small, SO small. I bet that picture is bigger than the actual model. As light as a penny. A feather. A waft of fresh maple syrup in the morning.

If you don't have an iPod - This is the model to get. Remember listening to the radio? It's similar, but you're in control and it's all your favorite songs. There are seven buttons on this thing, including (my favorite) an on/off switch - Thank you Steve for realizing I want this clear cut messaging from my electronics. "Hit pause twice, and um, hold it down." Leave me alone, and give me a toggle button, I miss the 90's.

If you do have an iPod and it's not a shuffle, you've already spent too much money on iPods, so check out eBay - They're selling for $25 to $40.

Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing!

The boyfriend and I tried out Lincoln Center's Midsummer Night Swing last night. Tickets were $15 a piece. There is a dance lesson from 6:30 - 7:30, which was indispensably helpful and debilitating. It had to have been 95 degrees during the lesson, and dance, which made the event a little too Survivor. The live band and vocalists came on around 8:00 - They were wonderful, and classic. All the big band songs you'd know from the 30's, 40's and 50's - Bobby Darin, Frank, Judy...

You're probably just as happy standing 15 feet outside the dance floor, dancing for free on the rest of the plaza.

Overall, great experience.

Tips: Don't bring a bag.

Adium for Apple OS X

Adium is a Jabber service available for Apple OS X. For those who are savvy enough to buy Apple Computers (AAPL), I take it there is a majority who know the joys of Adium. If you don't, these are the joys:

• Customizable to a staggering point. Font, size, shape, theme, sounds, transparency, auto-hiding, alerts...
• No ads (Hello AIM).
• Adorable little duckies.
• Tabbed chat windows, that can be dragged into other chat windows.
• One list of all your friends, whether they are on AIM, Google Talk, Jabber, etc.
• Spell check
• It's free, and open source (meaning, developers all over the world contribute to it's security, features, and debugging)

If you own an Apple Computer, download Adium here.

Netflix - Great Service

My friends Meredith and Pat recommended Netflix (NFLX) to me last summer. I signed up for a two week free trial and was immediately impressed with the speed at which my DVD's arrived and continued to arrive as I sent them back. I will say after you're a full fledged member the DVD's do seem to arrive slower than they did in the trial (curious), still - This is a great service.

Let's look at the most appealing factor of Netflix - The price points.

• 1 at a time - $4.99/Mo. (Don't get this, I don't even understand why they offer this - Who is this coy?)
• 1 at a time (unlimited) - $9.99/Mo. (Acceptable subscription for those who watch movies)
• 2 at a time (unlimited) - $14.99/Mo. (Right on target, but the next upgrade is only $3 more!)
• 3 at a time (unlimited) - $17.99/Mo. (Their most popular subscription - And lavishly necessary if you're catching up on 24, Grey's Anatomy...in my case, West Wing.)

How it works: You shop around (every movie and TV show imaginable), keep a queue, and the DVD's keep coming as you send them back - you get new DVD's a day or two later.

Blockbuster has a service as well, which allows you to receive DVD's by mail and at the stores - Exact same prices, even a dollar cheaper if you opt to only be serviced by mail. This is why I don't like Blockbuster: They've had outrageous prices for years: $5.99 + tax is not what I'd like to pay to rent one DVD. So, I'm punishing them, and rewarding Netflix for coming up with this cheap, convenient, method first. Also, is it just me, or did all the Blockbusters close?

Netflix is also an incredible gift, especially when you want to give a "home" (family, roommates) a present. I gave my boyfriend's family Netflix for Hanukkah, and they're loving it - They signed up for a full membership. Every time I'm there we have a discussion about their Netflix movies, and how much they love it.

Additional Perks:

• Watch it Now - Depending on your membership, you can download movies and watch them right away - I don't think Blockbuster offers this.
  
• HD DVD's and Blue Ray DVD's are available at no additional cost.

NYSC - 0$ to Join

I'm a member of NYSC - The club near my apartment is brand new, never crowded , and full of helpful (attractive) trainers. The classes are phenomenal: At the end of my Thursday night yoga class a professional violinist plays while we meditate.

I pay $69 a month - $20 is subsidized by my employer. Many employers (including mine) have promotional rates with NYSC...which is really just the standard rate upgraded to "Passport" at no additional cost.

Passport allows you to go to any NYSC, any time - Upgraded from, your gym + other gyms at non-peak hours (including weekends). I joined before I got my job, and I never bothered upgrading to Passport. I am at the level of simply trying to go to my home club - forget other clubs.

I happened to join during one of the may promotional moments of NYSC's history. I think I scraped by with a $20 join fee. Currently 0$ to join until June 30th. You have to join for two years, but if you need to bail early, you can always transfer your membership to someone else, and I'm sure Craigslist would be helpful for that.