Budget and the Geek

A few lovely things today...including this caffeinated soap!!! What? That's what I thought. Apparently the caffeine is absorbed through your skin. I could sure use this in the morning! That is, if I showered in the morning. And if it wasn't a little creepy. Oh, who am I kidding? I would totally use it. Maybe I should start becoming a morning showerer. er. It also comes in a liquid body wash. Awesome.

If showering's not your thing, there's SpazzStick (I'm still chuckling to myself over the name). Yep, caffeinated chapstick. The only one in the world. Mmmm...I'm becoming a fan of this ThinkGeek website. They even have these cool LED lights that look like candles...sigh...my inner geek shines through.

I read a really interesting article about kids and food in the NY Times the other day...talking about kids menus at restaurants, and how there are the same options (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, pizza, mac and cheese, etc) at virtually any restaurant, regardless of the restaurant's "theme" or supposed style of food. I thought it was pretty interesting--the writer suggests that when kids are only exposed to these kinds of "non-adult" foods, their palates are not exposed to a well-rounded variety of foods, and they grow up preferring more bland, processed-type foods. Why not just give them the same thing you're eating? I think I agree; I think that this "kids don't like certain foods, kids like fries and chicken nuggets" thing is a load of crap. I know plenty of kids that eat hummus, chicken alfredo, sun dried tomato spreads and exotic stir fries, just because their parents eat it too. And they like it. So there.

In this semi-interesting article about restaurants switching to tap water, several Berkeley/San Francisco area restaurants are mentioned. Exciting.

There have been a few really nice things in The Simple Dollar recently that I thought I'd share with all (ha) you budget-conscious people out there. One, The Choices You Make, The Dollars You Make, talks about the decisions we all have to make where we must choose between taking a job and doing something else...I deal with this all the time. For example: Should I take a babysitting job or go to my friend's show? In cases like this, as The Simple Dollar advises, you really have to think about the life experience you would be passing up in order to take the job. Is the $40 (or $20 or $60) I would make taking this job more important than whatever the other activity is? Sometimes, the answer is yes. Sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, it's better to be a supportive friend than make a quick buck, no matter how much I need the money. The other article I thought I'd pass on is How to Feel Happier About Not Spending Money. Just because, well, we all (and by that I mean I) need to feel good about ourselves and our lives sometimes, and it's sometimes hard to do that when you feel like you're depriving yourself. Perspective, folks, perspective. Gotta keep your eye on the prize and all that. Whatever...I know I sometimes need reminding of the light at the end of the budgeting tunnel!

And last, but certainly not least, How To Be Charming. Thank you, WikiHow, you are always a provider of great enjoyment and much laughter.

Ha.