Five Things You Should Stop Buying Now:

Want to save money?
In your quest to pinch pennies, you already brown bag your lunch, have given up your morning latte and try to go a week longer between haircuts. There are other ways to save bucks, too, but they may not be as obvious. TIME magazine identified five things you should stop buying right now because they add no value to your life and just eat up your hard-earned dollars.

1. Alternative Flu Remedies
The ads try to convince you to soothe your aches and pains with expensive herbs or vitamin supplements. Don’t fall for it, especially in a fevered state. The Centers for Disease Control is emphatic that there is no scientific evidence that any herbal, homeopathic or other folk remedies have any benefit against influenza. The one exception? Homemade chicken soup.

2. Unlimited Cell Phone Minutes
The all-you-can-talk plan means you can talk all day and night if you want and never pay extra charges. But do you really talk that much? TIME advises you to check your bill to see how many actual minutes you typically use each month. Chances are, it’s near the typical family-plan threshold of 700 minutes. The one exception? If you have a houseful of teenagers, carefully tally your minutes from six months of bills before opting out of an all-you-can-talk plan.

3. Bottled Water
It’s easy, convenient and they say it’s from a pure, natural spring somewhere far away. But the truth is that bottled water is similar to or the same as your tap water and treated with the same chemicals. Bottled water is not only expensive, but also hurts the environment.

4. Lottery Tickets
Who hasn’t played the lottery wish game, wondering what you would do with all those millions and millions of dollars? The odds of winning the big one are 1 in 195,249,054. As TIME points out, compare that to the odds of a meteor striking the Earth: 1 in 700,000.

5. Credit Card Payment Insurance
The sales pitch goes like this: Pay an extra monthly fee and if you lose your job or become disabled, the credit card company will pay your credit card bill for you. The reality is that this insurance will cost you several hundred dollars a year and there are so many exceptions, you’ll probably never collect. The one exception? There isn’t one. It’s a terrible idea any way you look at it.

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Its been cold at work the last couple of days.
So, I’ve been wearing my hoodie around the studio and offices.
No surprise. The comments began.
Here’s what I’ve heard so far:
“Hey Biebs! How’s it goin’?”
“Yo! Snoop Dog! What up??”
“Fiddy, is that you?”
“Are you having lunch with the Uni-Bomber?”
“Stay right there. I’m calling the police.”
“I wanna check your hands for signs of spray paint.”
“When’s your next Rap Album drop??”
“Good to see you up and around Obi Wan!”

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Seems everyone has some sort of connection to, or fascination with, the Titanic Story.
This legend is just too massive to cover in one blog entry….but….
1st — We were wondering…did you sing this song, or a version of it, in school??

2nd — This is most likely the best examination of the wreck. Thank you James Cameron.
If you’ve got the time, its worth a look!

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Careful!! Always think about the school-yard before you select a baby name.
If you’re stuck, here are some very hip baby handles:

• ‘Adele’ – The one-named singing wonder is now known around-the-globe.
• ‘Daisy’ – The object of “The Great Gatsby’s” affection in a new movie opening in December.
• ‘Griffin’ – Robert Griffin III won the Heisman; LA Clippers Blake Griffin won Rookie Of the Year.
• ‘Kanani’ – Hawaiian-inspired doll (American Girl Dolls) whose name means ‘beautiful one’.
• ‘Kris’ – Kris Humphries’ unique name-spelling will long outlast his marriage to Kim Kardashian.
• ‘Mac’ – Could catch on among computer nerds as a tribute to the late Steve Jobs.
• ‘Marilyn’ – Monroe’s 50th death anniversary (August 5th) will make her name popular again.
• ‘Oskar’ – A unique name and spelling from the buzz-film “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”.
• ‘Pippa’ – Thanks to the Brit royal, Pippa (short for Philippa) is sure to soar far beyond Britain.
• ‘Tim’ – With the hype around NFL’s Timothy Richard Tebow, the name’s gotta click with some.

– FamilyEducation.com

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Complete this sentence, “I’m the only person in the world who…”
Gets the grocery bagger taken away when I get to the register.
Gets behind Mr. Pokey at the drive-thru.
Gets my car washed, then it rains.
Just falls asleep, then the phone rings.
Has to replace the bathroom tissue every time.
Drives the speed limit.
Thinks reality shows are stupid.
Covers up at the beach.
Actually stops at a stop sign.
Hits every red light.
Has a sign on my car “Here I am, pull out in front of me”.
Gets vehicle christened by birds right after washing it.
Everything happens to on the 13th.
Gets soggy fries at my favorite fast-food restaurant.
(….feel free to add to the list!)

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(intense Voice Over)
In a world… gone mad……there is one constant every summer.
The return….of Major League Baseball….and….
The Toronto Blue Jays
(cheering crowd in a full stadium)
Okay, not the best possible script, but ya gotta love the Blue Jays chances this year.
And yes, every fan loves their own teams chances just as the season gets underway.
Hey, its time for a dog, and a drink and the umpire’s call.
But, before the 2012 Jays Season gets rolling, here’s a cool look back.
This is for you.
You’re the one who gets chills everytime you see Joe Carter hit that home run.
En-JoY!

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Foods That Help Burn Fat:
Dietary solutions to developing a swimsuit bod’ for Summer …
• Chicken Breast – Protein takes more time to digest than carbohydrates, so you’ll feel full longer than if you eat the same number of calories in a carb- or fat-heavy meal.
• Greek Yogurt – Calcium consumed in tandem with an amino acid found in dairy products has been shown to burn fat.
• Green Tea – Research suggests that consuming 2-to-4 cups of fresh-brewed green tea daily can help you burn about an extra 50 calories a day.
• Eggs – Eating protein in the morning keeps you felling full longer, meaning you end up taking in fewer calories during the rest of the day.
• Cold Water – When you drink ice water, your body actually expends energy, warming the water up to your natural temperature.
• Chili Peppers – Capsaicin, the ingredient that gives chili peppers their fiery kick, can also fire up your fat-burning furnace.
• Pistachios – These nuts contain the right balance of healthy fat, protein, and fiber, and together they rev your metabolism and keep you feeling satisfied.
– Condensed from “Cosmopolitan”

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Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-Where-ya-been?-
I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you-I-missed-you!!!!!!!!

We’ve all seen touching videos of families welcoming soldiers home who have returned from deployment. The joy, hugs and excitement family members share in the videos tug at your heart strings. But what we don’t see much is an animal’s joy for seeing his owner return! “Chuck” is so glad his owner is home.

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The Things You DON’T Wanna Hear From Your Kid:
• “Has the school called yet?”
• “Do you still have full coverage on the car?”
• “First of all, I was an innocent bystander …”
• “Now don’t overreact like the other parents did …”
• “I know you don’t usually like tattoos but …”
• “The important thing is no one was hurt.”
• “I’m glad you guys are so open-minded because …”
• “Before you ask, no, I wasn’t drinking …”
• “How quickly can you liquidate your retirement plan?”

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Any day now right?
If you’re about to be a parent, we hope this makes you laugh.
Pretty sure that this baby will come into the world dancing.
(We’ve already sent this mom-to-be some zebra-striped underpants!)

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