Volunteer Gear, a local e-tailer, does more than sell T-shirts. It runs an interactive Web site that lets volunteers pass along their good deeds and ask others to do likewise.

“I am a strong believer in paying it forward,” says Jennifer Lee, an Arlington Heights native who works as director of operations for the Palatine-based company. “If everyone could lend a helping hand, that’s what life is about.”

Here’s how it works: When a customer buys a $19.95 T-shirt online at Volunteer Gear.com or in a handful of local boutiques where the T-shirts are sold, the T-shirt comes with a set of dog tags with a single serial number engraved on both tags. The line of 23 T-shirts says “volunteer” on the back and has motivational sayings on the front, such as “Don’t Be a Life Potato” and “I Am the Best Alternative Energy Source.”

The buyer registers his dog-tag number on the VolunteerGear.com site, along with his or her volunteer deed. The volunteer answers questions about what he or she did and who he helped. Every serial number registered on the site is placed on Google Maps so that volunteers can watch a chain of good deeds spread geographically. The volunteer is encouraged to give the second dog tag to a friend or relative and ask that person to carry on the good deed-doing. Each time the chain is updated, the original tag holders receive e-mail updates. Volunteers may write comments on each volunteer post, much like Facebook or MySpace. The next step in interactivity will be enabling people to personalize their T-shirts and allowing young designers to create cause-based T-shirt designs.

“We think this is a great mechanism for high school students who can show colleges the kinds of volunteer work and community work they’ve done, or for churches who want to get young people involved,” said Lee, who lives in Algonquin. “One of our first sales was to a church group in Michigan for the children’s ministry unit.”

“My family is doing Salvation Army bell-ringing a couple times as part of our volunteering,” Lee said. “My younger daughter, Stephanie, 13, can register her dog tag online, talk about her experience and pass the second tag on to one of her girlfriends asking if she can help someone too.” Lee’s other children are Tyler, 16, and Alex, 7.

“The goal is to stimulate acts of kindness and doing things for others,” said Lee, who gained experience in wholesaling and online retailing when she ran her own company for six years that sold collegiate-licensed sandals, handbags and giftware.

Lee, who holds a degree in finance with a concentration in risk management from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, had previously had a career as an insurance underwriter and with a consulting firm that handled risk management for a major corporation. Though she rose to a vice president’s rank in her 20s, she left the work force when her second child was 2½ years old to focus on being a mom. She needed a more stable income than her collegiate-gift company allowed, and she found the answer with the Pepper Group, a marketing agency based in Palatine, and its owner, Tim Padgett. Padgett is the primary shareholder of Volunteer Gear and asked Lee to become its operations director.

Volunteer Gear has attracted the attention of corporations and intends to work with their employee volunteers.

“We want to create a group chain that will be branded with the company’s image, track how many people are involved in the volunteer efforts, how many hours they volunteered, and whether and how much money was raised,” Lee said. “Each employee will start his own volunteer chain, and that will feed into the group chain.”

Though the effort will undoubtedly help corporations brag about their social responsibility, the chain still relies on the social aspect of passing along a dog tag and getting more people involved.

“I’ve started promoting the idea to the National Football League and to the Major League Baseball organizations,” Lee said.

As Posted on Chicago SunTimes

Our lives these days are go, go, go, which can leave us running on empty. When we eat outside the home, “portions go up and nutrition goes down,” says Kelly D. Brownell, director of The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. Still, experts say that, with planning, it’s possible to eat on the go and stay healthy. Here’s how.

At The Office

A whopping 75% of office workers eat at their desks two or three times a week, according to the American Dietetic Association. If you do, prepare something healthy and satisfying in advance. Bring in nutritious snacks as well, for energy and to stave off hunger. Otherwise, it’s too easy to help yourself to whatever is available. A study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that secretaries whose candy dishes were close at hand ate more than twice as many chocolates as those whose dishes were six feet away.

• Stock up the office fridge, suggests dietitian Elisa Zied. Among the foods she recommends: low-fat yogurt or cheese paired with whole-grain crackers; hummus or natural peanut or almond butter; raw vegetables and a dip such as salsa, which is fat-free.
• Prepare protein-packed foods that promote a feeling of satiety. Make sandwiches or salads with canned tuna or salmon, lean meats or skinless turkey.
• Use the microwave, if there is one, to heat up instant oatmeal for breakfast. Foods with a high water content—such as broth, an apple or a salad—are volume-satisfying and a low-calorie way to start your lunch, says Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Penn State University.
• Snack wisely. Instead of candy, why not fill the bowl on your desk with the Japanese soybean snack edamame? “They’re a great source of protein and satisfyingly chewy,” says Dr. Juan Remos of the Miami Institute for Age Management and Intervention.

In The Car

In the rush to get to school, daycare or work, some families end up eating breakfast in the car. “Children get less than a quarter of the protein when they’re eating in transit than they do from a meal at home,” says Cheryl Rock of the University of California’s San Diego School of Medicine. To up the nutrition value, bring fast foods other than the ever-popular candy or chips.

• Choose foods that travel well. Peanut butter sandwiches on pita don’t require refrigeration. Neither, immediately, do most fruits or vegetables.
• Keep fruits and vegetables bite-sized. Studies at the Cornell Food and Brands Lab find that kids are 12% more likely to eat an apple if it’s cut up. Baby carrots and blueberries are ready-to-serve. Other choices: cubes of low-fat cheese, rice cakes, baked whole-grain crackers and miniboxes of rolled oats, shredded wheat or puffed corn cereal. (You also can bag your own.)
• Control portions by using small-sized plastic bags. You’ll feel like you’re getting more to eat.
• Buy takeout selectively. If you have to make a fast-food pit stop, choose grilled over fried foods, chicken over burgers, salad instead of fries or onion rings, and milk and water in place of shakes.

At The Movies

The distraction of the film and the munching sounds of others in the theater lead to mindless eating. A study by Brian Wansink, now executive director of the Department of Agriculture’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, found that people who were given a large tub of popcorn ate 50% more (almost 200 extra calories) than those given a medium-sized bag. “Worse,” he says, “they were certain they’d eaten no more than those with smaller portions.”

• Know what you’re going to eat ahead of time. Try a small box of raisins, nuts or trail mix for crunch. A lollipop or small latte—sold at some concession stands or smuggled in from a nearby coffee shop—will last well beyond the opening credits.
• Make your own. Research shows that plain popcorn mixed with a few pretzels and—depending on your preference—a seasoning like paprika or hot sauce curbs carb cravings.

Good To Go

• Energy bars. Look for brands high in fiber (at least 4 grams), low in fat and sugar, with 5-10 grams of protein.
• Nuts. Dry-roasted walnuts, cashews and almonds are loaded with protein and healthy fats, as are peanuts.
• Dried fruit. These provide sweetness, fiber and antioxidants.
• Cheese. Small, individually packaged servings of low-fat string cheeses don’t need immediate refrigeration and contain calcium and protein.
• An apple. Easy to store in a desk drawer or to toss into a backpack, apples take the edge off of hunger.

As Posted on Parade

In tough economic times, every little bit helps. Before doing your online shopping, a quick and simple way to save a few dollars is to search for coupon codes. You may have luck finding online coupon codes through your preferred store’s email newsletter or on a website dedicated to consolidating discount information and coupons.

Step 1

Join an online retailer’s website Checking your store of choice is the best place to start. Many shopping websites will periodically send coupons and special offers to their members. Specialty stores like AllPosters.com and Victoria’s Secret along with all-purpose retailers like eBay will sometimes send online coupon codes or other news on discounts.

Step 2

CurrentCodes.com The CurrentCodes.com website has one of t he most comprehensive collections of free online coupon codes available. From their home page, you can search for online coupon codes by the name of the store or by product category. Their catalog lists available online coupon codes and special offers for thousands of online stores ranging from 1 Stop Florists to zZounds.com music store.

Step 3

CoolSavings.com CoolSavings.com is similar to CurrentCodes.com, with the main difference being that CoolSavings also has printable coupons for offline shopping. Under the “online coupons” tab, you can search for coupons by category or store name. This site is not the most user-friendly, but if you can get past the Columbia House-style offers and popup windows, it has a nice selection of online coupon codes.

Step 4

If all else fails, run a quick search for the name of the store or product you are interested in along with the words coupon, coupon codes, or offer codes. While not every store will offer coupon codes, many have offers kicking around the internet targeted to drawing in new customers or keeping old ones coming back.

As Posted on EHow

Go ahead. Embrace your inner tightwad.

1. Free video games

If you’re looking for games for the kids — or an excuse to act like a kid yourself — head to Kongregate, PopCap Games, Pogo.com and OnlineFlashGames for thousands of free online and downloadable games of all types.

For educational or just-for-fun games suited to young kids, check out PBS Kids, Discovery Kids, NickJr.com and Scholastic.com.

2. Free birthday goodies

A slew of businesses will give you prime freebies on your birthday that almost make getting older worth it. For instance, anyone can get free admission to Disneyland or Disney World in 2009. Join the birthday club at Toys R Us and your child (younger than 10) will get a free toy or gift card every year.

If you sign up in advance to join the club at your favorite eatery, you could score free food on your birthday. For example, you can get a free meal at Famous Dave’s BBQ and free ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery and Baskin Robbins. Search the Web for “birthday freebies,” then call your local restaurants to ask whether they participate in the deal. For more, see “20 freebies for your birthday.”

3. Free shipping

Special delivery! Some retailers still offer free shipping on every order, including Alyssa Basket Designs (special-occasion gifts), Blue Nile (jewelry), Piperlime (shoes), Shopbop.com (clothes) and Zappos.com (shoes). 

If you want to start a lively debate with your colleagues, just say one word: Facebook. You’re likely to hear many different arguments and at some point someone will declare that if students would spend less time on Facebook and other social networking sites they’d get better grades. Maybe, maybe not.

New research from the University of New Hampshire finds that students who heavily engage in social networking do just as well academically as students who are less interested in keeping in touch with the medium.

A summary of “Social Networking Usage and Grades Among College Students” is available for download here.

“The study indicates that social media is being integrated with rather than interfering with students’ academic lives,” said UNH adjunct professor Chuck Martin, whose marketing research class conducted the study. “College students have grown up with social networks, and the study shows they are now simply part of how students interact with each other with no apparent impact on grades.”

Students at the UNH Whittemore School of Business surveyed 1,127 UNH students from a range of majors. The research shows that there is no correlation between the amount of time students spend using social media and their grades. Grades followed similar distributions for all colleges, with the majority of students having A’s and B’s.

Researchers defined light users of social media as usage fewer than 31 minutes per day. Heavy usage was defined as usage exceeding 61 minutes per day. Researchers defined high grades as A’s and A’s and B’s, and lower grades as B’s and lower. For the purpose of the study, social media was defined as Facebook, YouTube, blogs, Twitter, MySpace or LinkedIn.

Sixty-three percent of heavy users received high grades, compared to 65 percent of light users. Researchers found similar results with lower grades. While 37 percent of heavy users of social media received what were defined as lower grades, 35 percent of light users received fell into that same category.

Ninety-six percent of UNH students use Facebook
The study also showed that Facebook and YouTube are the most popular social media platforms with college students. An astounding 96 percent of students said they use Facebook on a typical day and 84 percent use YouTube. Only 20 percent said they use blogs, 14 percent use Twitter, 12 percent use MySpace and 10 percent use LinkedIn.

In addition, 43 percent of those surveyed said they have increased their usage of social media from a year ago, eight percent of them significantly. Thirty-nine percent of students said they have not changed their use of social media, while 18 percent said their use has decreased, including three percent who said it had significantly decreased.

The majority of students said they use social networks for social reasons (89 percent) and entertainment (79 percent). About a quarter of students said they use social media for educational reasons (26 percent), and 16 percent for professional reasons.

As Posted on Faculty Focus

It is a shared fact that Hollywood is running out of fresh ideas, especially seeing that more and more movie makers lately opt to go with remakes, sequels, prequels and some sorts. Nevertheless, as 2009 comes to a close and 2010 creeps closer by the seconds, it becomes pretty clear that American cinema still does have a lot to in stores considering that technology behind movie-making keeps on evolving for better movie experiences.

From the visually-attractive “Alice in Wonderland” to the action-packed “The Expendables“, the new year will offer more and more movies in 3-D in addition to those made with intricate special effects. Aiding you to find the ones worth your time, AceShowbiz comes out with this list of 15 most anticipated 2010 movies.

It should be noted that all of the movies listed have a potential to perform well at the box office upon their theatrical release. Additionally, all of the upcoming follow-up movies won’t be found here due to the fact that AceShowbiz has discussed the 10 must-see sequels of 2010 in a separate article.

“The Wolfman“

Release Date: February 10

Back in the year of 1941, one monster movie has enthralled moviegoers with its depiction of the werewolf legend. Come February 10, 2010, a remake of this extremely influential movie will be brought forth through “The Wolfman“. While sticking to the original plot, this newer version is supported with better special effects, especially for the transformation of Lawrence Talbot, as well as with great talents, like Benicio del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt, behind the characters. And, don’t forget it will have one thing the original didn’t, the R rating. That can only mean there will be plenty of blood and gore.

“Alice in Wonderland“

Release Date: March 5

Prepare to be visually delighted by “Alice in Wonderland“. With director Tim Burton being the man behind the lens, this movie will be no ordinary childhood tale coming to life. Combining live action and motion capture technology, it has the premise of bringing in the freshness but still maintaining the classic nature of the Lewis Caroll’s tale itself. There will also be an interesting twist considering that this feature version takes place ten years after Alice visited the magical world. But, that’s not all. Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway are among the impressive line of cast.

“Clash of the Titans“

Release Date: March 26

If one is looking for a movie about Greek mythology with premise of pure entertainment, “Clash of the Titans” is definitely the one to be checked out. A remake to the 1981’s box office hit of the same name, this fantasy adventure comes from “The Incredible Hulk” director Louis Letterier and is loosely based on the myth of Perseus. “Avatar” leading man Sam Worthington will uphold his action star status by delivering some intense action, and the special effects team will exhibit CG-galore by bringing to life some unholy demons and fearsome beasts like Medusa and Kraken.

“Date Night“

Release Date: April 9

Every year has its own favorite side-splitting comedy movie. 2008 tickles people’s funny bones with “Tropic Thunder“, and 2009 generates roars with “The Hangover“. When 2010 comes around, there is one potential movie that is likely draw the most laughters from movie lovers, “Date Night“. Its catch is simple yet powerful. It has two of the funniest people on television, Tina Fey of “30 Rock” and Steve Carell of “The Office“. Just imagine Liz Lemon being married to Michael Scott and having one of their ordinary date night gone terribly wrong. One can most certainly expect one comical adventure after another.

“Kick-Ass“

Release Date: April 16

Originality is the key factor that will lure people into enjoying what “Kick-Ass” has to offer. Based on the groundbreaking comic book by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., this film will present one unique superhero movie. Instead of having heroes with superpowers, it will offer realistic superheroes with silly costumes, real blood and all of the human mortality factors. Much like the original comics, it will feature profanity and graphic violence without leaving out the dark humor, earning itself an R rating. While Superman has his super strength and Spider-Man has his web, it will be interesting to see how these real-life superheroes battles the baddies without any superpowers.

“A Nightmare on Elm Street“

Release Date: April 30

In the mood for some blood-pumping terror? Freddy Krueger, one of Hollywood’s scariest characters, returns to the big screen in the newest version of “A Nightmare on Elm Street“. This time around, however, the disfigured dream stalker will not crack any jokes. As a matter of fact, producer Brad Fuller has warned moviegoers “don’t fall asleep or you’ll die.” It will be interesting to see how the CGI and other new technologies will be used to explore the dreamscape. And, if Jackie Earle Haley manages to creep you out with his portrayal of pedophile Ronnie McGorvey in “Little Children“, be prepared to be kept on the edge of your seat.

“Robin Hood“

Release Date: May 14

“Robin Hood” was originally planned to present the prince of thieves as the baddie and Sheriff of Nottingham as the good guy. But, the joining of “American Gangster” director Ridley Scott and his “Gladiator” star Russell Crowe shape the movie as one hell of an action-packed film with a leading character that mixes the legendary figure with Crowe’s Maximus. For those doubting this movie, Crowe has this to say, “The world doesn’t need a mundane version of Robin Hood. If we’re gonna do it, we’ve got to kick some serious butt. So this has got to be the best one ever done, otherwise I should be doing something else.”

“Prince of Persia: Sands of Time“

Release Date: May 28

Here is one movie for the fans of video game series, “Prince of Persia: Sands of Time“. Coming from the hands of uber-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, this action fantasy brings to life the story of street urchin-turned-prince Dastan. The catch is, this movie won’t be a straight beat-for-beat adaptation of the video game. Instead, it will take the game’s cool elements to craft a new story. Jake Gyllenhaal and Gemma Arterton are behind Dastan and Tamina, while Ben Kingsley takes on the villainous nobleman Nizam. From what the sneak peeks have teased, there will be plenty of flirtations going on between the two lead characters without leaving out the actions.

“The A-Team“

Release Date: June 11

Who can forget Hannibal and his ragtag team of Faceman, Murdock and B.A.? Together they have kept many glued to the small screen for years. In 2010, these four soldiers of fortune are heading to the big screen in a new form with a modern version of “The A-Team“. Expect no Vietnam war veterans, but a group of Iraq War veterans. A-class actors, like Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, as well as newcomers, Sharlto Copley and Quinton Jackson, will be behind the familiar characters. Some old faces could be making a cameo as well. To add to the excitement, “Smoking Aces” director Joe Carnahan is the man behind the lens.

“Jonah Hex“

Release Date: June 18

Combine western movie with supernatural baddies, one will get “Jonah Hex“. Based on one bad-ass DC Comics antihero character, this movie present the adventure of a cowboy with an attitude like Clint Eastwood and a face resembling Batman’s nemesis Two-Face. Not much has been shared on what story the film will pick up, but the fact that “No Country for Old Men” star Josh Brolin takes on the title character surely is a big enough bait. If all said are not enough, there will be another male-pleasing lure, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” siren Megan Fox playing a gun-wielding prostitute.

“The Last Airbender“

Release Date: July 2

The year 2010 reels in one movie for the many fans of Nickelodeon’s award-winning TV series “Avatar: The Last Airbender ” out there. “The Last Airbender” will bring to life the popular cartoon characters from the heroic Aang to the deplorable Prince Zuko with the help of some fresh faces in Hollywood. One of them is “Slumdog Millionaire” leading man Dev Patel. It will be cool to see the actor beyond his rags-to-riches teen character. Another interesting catch for “Airbender” is the touch of auteur M. Night Shyamalan. He is breaking out from his supernatural genre. Whether he is to be loved or hated is to be proven with this fantasy movie.

“Predators“

Release Date: July 9

Not getting enough of sci-fi horror movies? “Predators” may well come to one’s delight. A sequel to the original 1987’s “Predator”, this new feature installment will offer a twist of its own. When Arnold Schwarzenegger comes face to face with this extraterrestrial being in the first movie, he has Earth resources that plays to his advantage. The follow-up, however, will capture a group of elite warriors being stranded in the planet of the extraterrestrial species. There are some doubt over the selection of the cast ensemble, especially the casting of Adrien Brody in lead role. So, it will be interesting to see how director Nimrod Antal plays his cards here.

“Inception“

Release Date: July 16

Little is known about “Inception“, except that it has been described as “a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind”. Its previously-released teaser also didn’t help much to make sure what to look ahead to. So, there is no guarantee this movie will be a cult classic yet. Still, the mystery that lingers around this movie has definitely boosted people’s expectation. Don’t forget Christopher Nolan, the mastermind behind “The Dark Knight“, is serving triple duties as its writer, producer and director. And, he has assembled an impressive cast, consisting of Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe and Ellen Page among many others.

“Salt“

Release Date: July 23

At first glance, “Salt” seems to be not much different from any other thrillers Hollywood has ever produced. But, its plus point comes from the fact that leading actress Angelina Jolie has been kicking some serious butts in many of her action movies. Just take a look at “Tomb Raider” series, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and the latest “Wanted (2008)” as proofs. So, when she fills in for Tom Cruise who decided to back out in mid-2008, a series of splendid action sequences could be anticipated. From what has been teased so far, the movie won’t be lacking of actions for sure.

“The Expendables“

Release Date: August 13

Action movie lovers would undoubtedly dig Sylvester Stallone’s “The Expendables“. It has got the winning formula from its impressive line of action stars alone. Many of Hollywood action stars, counting Jet Li, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Steve Austin and Randy Couture, gang up as a team of mercenaries who heads to South America in a mission to overthrow a dictator. What makes it even better is the get-together of 80’s iconic action stars, Sly, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, in one feature production. Fist fighting, gun battle and explosion will be abundant.

As Posted on Ace Show Biz

When you’re on a tight budget, the thought of preparing tasty, healthy meals on a regular basis can seem daunting. Not only is it easy to get sucked in by grocery merchandising tricks, but it’s also normal for most of us to fall into a mealtime rut, eating the same foods over and over. But you’re in control of your kitchen—and if you cook smart, you can enjoy the first-class meals you deserve.

You can save money and still have quality. If you’ve been using cost as an excuse to eat junk, you can kiss that excuse goodbye! With a little organization and creativity, you can have the proverbial champagne when cooking on a beer budget. To start, here’s a quick review of basic tips of healthy eating:

• Limit your intake of junk food and alcohol
• Drink lots of water (at least 8 cups a day)
• Limit salty and sugary foods
• Avoid eating many foods that are high in saturated fats
• Make “variety” the watchword of your eating

Next, set aside regular blocks of time for planning meals, making your grocery list, and shopping—tasks that are most often shortchanged in food prep. Include healthy snack ideas, as well as main menu items. Think about the time of day, day of week, and even week in the month that you shop. Generally, the grocery is the least busy early in the morning, in the middle of the week, and on any day but the first day or two of the month (when many people receive pension or paychecks).

Don’t be afraid to surf the internet for recipes that use specific ingredients (plug the ingredient in as a keyword of your search), since you can often get good buys on breads, meats, and other items marked for quick sale before they go bad.

Stock your fridge and cupboards with items that are quick and easy to cook (yet kind to your wallet):

• Beans and lentils, whether canned or dried, make nutritious, hearty soups, and can be a main course with the addition of fresh vegetables or rice.
• Brown Rice is a great addition to leftover meat and veggies. Although brown rice is slightly more expensive than white, the nutritional payoff is well worth it. Another inexpensive, easy-to-fix grain, millet, is best when bought fresh. Simply rinse and toast before using it in recipes.
• Pasta, likewise, is quick and easy to prepare, and can be paired with veggies, meat, or a fresh salad. Have fun adding your own embellishments (mushrooms, spices, and herbs.) Choose whole-wheat pasta whenever available.
• Soups can’t be beat for nutrition and convenience, especially since you can use canned or packet soups as your base, then add your own veggies and leftover meat. Again, try to experiment, adding your own herbs and spices.
• Fresh vegetables and fruit should be bought at least once or twice each week, preferably in season, to ensure optimal taste and nutrition. You can also rely on canned/frozen varieties as handy additions to last-minute meals. Veggies make great stir-fries and vegetable patties, while fruit is good for a quick nutritious snack.
• Meat and fish can be kept on hand also for last-minute meals— try the newer tuna and salmon pouches, and shop for inexpensive cuts of meat that work well in stews and casseroles.
• Condiments add flavor and interest to your dishes. Keep a selection of dried herbs, spices, curry powder, marinades, vinegars, tomato and soy sauces, along with stock cubes, in your cupboard. Experiment with the new, such as Japanese miso, an aged salty condiment made from soybeans and various other ingredients (found in the natural foods section, usually refrigerated).

Finally, a few more hints that can help you save a little green:

• When cooking a big meal, make extra to freeze, or use later in the week for lunches or quick suppers. Double recipes, then freeze half.
• Save your vegetable trimmings to make your own vegetable stock. Not only do you save money, but vegetable stock also makes a nutritious base for casseroles, soups, and Crockpot cooking.
• Buying in bulk is almost always cheaper; you can freeze perishable items (such as meat, milk, and even bread) in smaller portions to use as needed. It’s always a good idea to buy non-perishable items in bulk (canned foods, dried beans and grains, etc.).
• Use less expensive cuts of meat for casseroles that you slow cook; add extra vegetables and beans to make the meal go further.
• Capitalize on one-pot dishes, which generally save prep time, money, and dishwashing, and often make great leftovers.
• Look high and low (literally) to find the less expensive generic or store brands on grocery shelves, often very similar to higher-priced brand names though packaged under different labels. Stores deliberately place the highest-priced brand-name items at eye level, but if you compare the cost per unit, you’ll be able to figure out the most cost-effective purchase. You can even try your own taste tests— blind, of course— to see where you can save money without sacrificing flavor.
• Take advantage of specials on staples—broth, soups, pasta, rice, canned veggies, even bread and meat. Many of these items have a long shelf life or can be frozen for short periods of time.
• Limit your dining out, especially when it comes to fast food, since you’ll find yourself spending unnecessarily on items that are high in fat, salt, and calories, which short-change you in the nutrition department.

There’s no magic formula to cooking on a budget. Like anything else worthwhile in life, it takes a little planning, creativity, and work. But if you think of the rewards—better health and more money—you’ll find it’s worth the effort. No doubt you’ll still have days when you fall back on that quick-fix packaged food or the local burger drive-thru. But if you look at cooking as an adventure, you’ll also have days when you find yourself pleased at what you’ve accomplished—as you serve dinner to rave reviews from family and friends!

What to Add

As someone who spends an inordinate amount of time wading through e-mails, finding the best e-mail service is paramount in my life.

Realizing that, I’ve done my fair share of shuffling from one e-mail program to the next–trying to find the best service that not only offers speed and stability, but also reliability and spam control. And although e-mail services are getting better, it’s abundantly clear that few offer the kind of experience I’m really looking for in an e-mail client. But Google’s Gmail app is different. It’s better than its competition on a number of levels and provides the kind of e-mail experience that’s simply unrivaled online.

Spam, Spam, Spam

I’ve used practically every e-mail service on the Web and I can say, without a doubt, that Gmail blocks the most spam. To those who open a new account, spam may not be a serious concern. Your spam folder will likely remain empty for a while until your new e-mail address makes its way into the wild. But for my e-mail address, which is widely available and easily attainable, spam is a constant headache.

On services like Yahoo Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, and AOL Mail, the spam blocker tried but failed on too many occasions. In fact, dealing with spam in my already bloated in-box was a daily occurrence that got worse as more messages piled up. But Gmail is different. Right now, I have thousands of messages sitting in my spam folder that never made their way to my in-box. Even better, I can say with all honesty that I only see about two or three spam messages per day in my in-box–not perfect, but much better than anything the competition is offering.

Google Apps

Maybe it’s not fair to compare e-mail clients on the basis of additional apps, but I’ll do it anyway. After all, Google is competing with the likes of Yahoo and AOL–two major Web companies–and I don’t see why these two can’t release apps that provide an even greater value proposition to users.

There’s something so appealing about receiving an e-mail from someone who attached a Word document or Excel spreadsheet and being given the option to open that attachment in Google Docs. And being able to switch to Google Calendar and Reader from Gmail cuts down on time spent on managing my day. Maybe that functionality appeals to me because I prefer using apps like Google Calendar and Reader to keep me organized and “in the know”, but I honestly can’t see myself using another e-mail client knowing how invested I am in other Google apps. Suffice to say that my affinity for Gmail stretches beyond e-mail.

Filters

Gmail’s filter feature is the best in the business. Period. Unlike its competitors, which try to provide a filter tool that simply re-routes incoming messages, Gmail delivers a power user’s dream. In a matter of seconds, you can create a filter that searches through all incoming mail looking for specific people or keywords and once found, immediately categorizes it into a specific folder, forwards it on to someone else, or moves it to the trash, to name just a few functions.

With the help of Filters, using Gmail becomes an even more rewarding experience. Gone are the days of spending big chunks of your time attempting to find just one e-mail that’s lost in a collection of thousands. Other e-mail services try desperately to provide the same kind of filter features, but they fall flat. In my experience, messages are either missed, the filter has performs the wrong function, or simply not ends up not working. In fact, Yahoo Mail’s filter feature works only in its Classic e-mail app and according to the company, won’t be available in the new interface until it’s done “tweaking the Yahoo! Mail Filters option.” Yikes.

Annoying ads

Anyone who has used Yahoo Mail, AOL Mail, or Windows Live Hotmail knows all too well that the annoying ads are in abundance. But when you load up Gmail, it’s an entirely different story.

Sure, there are ads on Gmail, but unlike the other services, they’re not intrusive in any way. I never notice them when I’m working with the program, but when I load up Yahoo Mail or try out Hotmail, I’m inundated with ugly display ads that reduce the service’s screen real estate and generally take away from the experience. Granted, ads don’t have any impact on the viability of an e-mail service, but doesn’t it stand to reason that if you’re not forced to look at blinking ads while working in your e-mail, you’ll be a happier user?

Conversation Displays

I realize there are many people out there who enjoy the “classic” style of displaying e-mails based on their arrival, but I’m not one of them. I like that Gmail groups an entire e-mail conversation into one and forgoes the use of individual strands. The latter strikes me as outdated and useless today in a world of constant e-mail communication.

That said, I realize my opinion isn’t the most popular. Yahoo and AOL Mail are more popular than Gmail and each employs the “old” display style, suggesting that users prefer that over Gmail’s style. But I think that’s more of a reaction to what users know than to what they would like. In fact, I’m willing to bet that if those people were forced to use Gmail for a week, the vast majority would dump Yahoo or AOL in favor of Google’s client as soon as a flurry of e-mails between two parties broke out and they needed to go back to find a particular message. Finding that message couldn’t be easier in Gmail.

As Posted on CNet

Just as so many of us were finally coming to accept the contemporary triumph of the legging over the pant, a new controversial wardrobe piece is popping up everywhere: harem pants.

Yes, the baggy and tapered contraptions have are becoming ubiquitous once again - if only on red carpets and the streets of New York. They’ve made the rounds before, those harem pants; in the early 90s, they were famously popularized by MC Hammer (who, for the record, wants nothing to do with them).

Heidi Klum wore a pair to arrive at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show (she later changed into a tight-fitting mini dress). At this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards, Leona Lewis strutted down the red carpet in a sequined, cropped pair. And Gwen Stefani wears them everywhere - with Louboutins, natch.

Hot or Not?

As Posted on Zimbio