Cleaning Out the Closet

Spring cleaning is around the corner. What are you going to do with all those clothes you have never worn with the tags still on it. You can bring it to a consignment store and hope some finds your trash their treasure. Or head over to Goodwill and get a refund on your taxes for next year. Are you really going to wait until 2011 to get your refund. I have a better plan for you. Head over to Plato's Closet and get cash on the spot for your gently worn or new clothes. Bring in your bags of clothes, and they will give you cash on the spot. Then you can pocket it and invest the money. Or on the other hand you can look at what everyone else has brought in. The one I just came from had fabulous floral prints that were all over the runways. The best part was it was only six bucks. Everything is organized by color, and size, so you can zone right into what you are looking for. With all the room you made in your cleaning endeavor you will be able to fill up all the empty spaces. While you are there bring in your man's duds as he can freshen up his look. Spring forward with a new, inexpensive wardrobe.

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Thanks Rocco

So spending four bucks on a cookie sounds like a ton of money. What if the cookie was the size of the dessert plate it came on? Then that 4 bucks does not seem like a lot. Turn on the Food Network and watch the Best Thing I Ever Ate, and you will never think twice about spending that dough (no pun intended). So here is the story, Rocco Dispirito was talking about this cookie that was crisp on the outside, and warm and gooey on the inside. The bakery happened to be in New York, close enough for me to get too. Then I couldn't stop thinking about it. At the first chance I had I headed over to Levain Bakery at 74th and Amsterdam. In an unassuming lower than street location you will find the bakery heaven. Then I bought the baked goodness and shared the joy with others. The general consensus about the Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookie was the best cookie I have ever had. How to describe this heavenly goodness is to say its a cross between a soul warming cup of hot cocoa and a gooey brownies. This cookie is meant to be split and dunked in milk. So I know the Upper West Side is not usually a tourist attraction or where the locals go for down time (unless of course they live there), but make it a duty to get over there next time you are in town. And if you do not plan on splitting it use your feet and not public transportation. You will not feel as guilty when you devour the whole thing.

Go And Grab It

I know you want it; we all know you want it. Everyone one wants their fifteen minutes of fame. Some of us are willing to take it even if it is bad. You have the Youtube video of you displaying your hidden, untapped talent. The problem is the video has only received four hits. Those hits came from your computer. What if you could gain a wider audience and make that break. Now is your chance to sign up for your fifteen minutes to become that break out star. 15toFame is the platform for your star to burn much brighter, for 15 minutes exactly. How it works, the potential star picks the time slot for when they want the world to see their talents. If you feel 6:00 to 6:15 is the best time for the world to see your live act, sign up for that slot. Link and direct your subjects to your online video. The last simple steps is advertise via twitter, facebook, postings on the sides of telephone polls. If you want more than an actual 15 get the world talking about you.

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Trendiest Person In the Room

Fashion week has got you itching for some stellar pieces to wear in the coming season. Then you checked your bank account. You would be lucky to afford the Topshop inspirations. If you are not willing to settle for second best head over to Rent the Runway for your chance to look like you just stepped off the catwalk. This is your chance to try that ridiculous trend to see if you can rock it like that leggy blond. Users of this innovative site have access to today's biggest trends straight from the designers who started them. Rent the Runway's team buys the key pieces of the season for you to rent at a fraction of the cost what it retails for. Rentals are just 10% of the price you would pay if you walked into Saks. After you wear that showstopping outfit, pack up and send it back to RTR. Now you do not have to run to Bloomies next time you need a dress for that black tie. We know you are only going to wear it once and spend a small fortune on it. Why not get your money's worth, and get something ten times more amazing. Make sure to see what sashayed down this past week's runways to prioritize your rentals come fall.

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Move Over Colonel

Chicken is good, when it is fried its better. Really its the best. Fried chicken by one of the best chefs in the world is finger licking good. Paying for fried chicken by the one of the best chef's in the world could cost you an arm and a leg, and I do not mean the chicken's. William Sonoma is bridging the gap between your kitchen and the world renown Thomas Keller's. Head to the mall or buy online the Ad Hoc Fried Chicken Kit. Exclusive to William Sonoma, you can get your hands on the simple seasonings and dressings that makes Keller's chicken so famous. First you brine the chicken which adds flavors from fresh herbs and lemon. This process tenderizes the meat as well. By dredging the chicken twice you will have to turn the volume down on that crunch. For under fifteen bucks, you can make 15 to 20 pieces of chicken, enough to feed the Colonels small, but hungry army.

Always a Bridesmaid Dress?

Long weekend means an extra day for the Bride to be to find you that bridesmaid dress to make her look her best. With that being said, you hope she has some sympathy for you, aka she makes you look decent and not like a stick of bubble gum. Here is your opportunity to tell the bride to take her lovely wedding party to Two Birds. Two Birds offers three bridesmaid dresses that can be worn in a multitude of ways and come in a plethora of colors. What is great about this, is the Bride can choose which style and color she likes best, and then the bridesmaid can fashion the dress to which suits her body the best. Colors range from a vibrant peacock blue, to the sweet rosewater The dresses are the standard price that your typical dress will cost, but what is great is that the bridesmaid will be able to wear this dress for multiple occasions after the big event. Want to try all the styles, but do not have the faintest idea how to make your strapless into a asymmetrical gown. Two Bird's has a how-to-guide on their site, to help all those who are a tad confused. So Bridesmaid to be gently pass this post on to the overwhelmed bride. She will be happy to have one thing ticked off her list and we all know you will be relieved to not wear that potato sack disguised as a dress.

Image via Two Birds

Every Thursday From Here On, You Can Find Me Here

Tomorrow night is the start of the weekend. Who are you fooling that people actually get work done on a Friday? No one. So when you bust out of the doors tomorrow at 5 PM head straight to the Lounge at Park Grill in Chicago for $5 Thursdays. You read that right, 5 bucks for a happy hour deal, and I am not just talking drinks. Food is also a single Lincoln. After work you are starving and anything from the mini PG Burgers to the Cornmeal Crusted Calamari will satisfy your cravings. How about Prince Edward Island Muscles for the same price. Culinary score! Of course you have your standard fair of beverages for the same price. Talk about sustainable, all the beers are locally sourced from Midwestern breweries such as Riverwest from Milwaukee to Metropolitan Flywheel from Chicago. They probably don't even put the later on a truck; it is just wheeled down the street and put on ice. There is wine and cocktails for you to choose from as well. I would choose between the Arnie or the Rummrunner because they both sound delightful. Enjoy your evening, have fun, stop when you know you will at least be presentable tomorrow at work. I did not say you needed to be functional.

Listen Up

The Internet has everything, it just takes time to find it. That mantra is the same for your music tastes. It takes time to cultivate a more sophisticated music palate than the Jo-Bros and Miley. The problem is you do not know where to start. Luckily you can put the Internet and radio together and find some hip, cutting edge radio stations streaming live on your computer. Head over to Radio Tuna to scour the Internet and world to find a genre, station etc to fit your new music bill of health. The site will search all stations for a specific artist currently playing, or a crazy genre that has not made it big just yet. Fancy the musical stylings of the Malasyians? Big Tuna will link you up with what is pumping through the speakers over there. Love Euro pop more than a normal person should. Stick your headphones in, grab some neon and get down.

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Cultivating Brain Knowledge

Face it, you stopped thinking about 6 months ago. You are just so bored with life, work, and the economy. You have not found anything to spark that inquisitive section of the brain. What if there was a way to stir up that crazy section of your brain to move onto the path of use? If you answered yes, its time to sign up for some classes at The Brooklyn Brainery. The Brainery hosts collaborative, meaning its location to learn everything they forgot to add to the curicculum in college. For $25 and once a week, you can take the time and expand your cocktail party conversations. The current semester is already in session and look what we missed out on. I could have increased my vocab on all things visual with LK213: Looking at Things. Since I am in the market for a new perfume I am sure SCT133: Scents & Sensibility would help me understand what I want to buy next time at Sephora. Since I am a foodie in hiding I would also take Meat2366: Meat! so I can learn exactly what is on my plate the next time I chow down. Since the inaugural semester is coming to a close I first hope it was a success, and I eagerly am anticipating what is to come in the future. Tell them what you have been dying to learn, this is for you, not your transcript anymore. So figure out if you want to learn about the origins of your fruit or how music really effects our moods tell the people behind the brain.

Now Open, Newest Bar In Town

You are having a party this weekend, a grown up party. So that means you will not be using crystal light as a mixer and solo cups to serve your beverages. You want a grown up bar, but have no idea where to start. The Boston Shaker is your new depot for all your home cocktailing needs. This new shop, located in Beantown, luckily has an online shop with everything to stock your bar like the one at Hudson Terrace. Check their stock list for hard to find mixers, garnishes, and gourmet mixology books. Now you can relax with a lavender spiked adult beverage at the end of a long day at work. They say the aromatic qualities of the lavender plant help you relax, so why not put it in a cup and sip on it. But you need the appropriate glass to pour it in. Do not fret, its just another tab on this site; there are the tools as well to make it correctly. At a loss for what exactly you want to serve at this weekend's party? Please check out the publication section with various literature on this subject. Do not go overboard, because by next weekend the word may get out that your place serves the best drinks and plays the best music.

Saint Delicious

I am a contradiction. I just told you to get off the couch and head to a yoga class, and now its onto something not as great for the hips. I love cupcakes, you love cupcakes, we all love cupcakes, but only on occasion. Now you can have these little delights delivered to your home for you to assemble how you see fit. The Portland based bakery, Saint Cupcake, now delivers cupcake kits for you to design in the comforts of your own home. First you pick how many you need, anywhere from 3 to 12. Then you pick the individual cakes, icings, and sprinkles. I would be hard pressed to choose between Pumpkin Spice with a cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut or the vegan vanilla with chocolate icing and rainbow sprinkles. But hey I do not have to decide, I can order up those 2 and one more for kicks. If I change my mind I can have pumpkin spice with chocolate frosting and toasted coconut because when they arrive on my doorstep I fix them up. A great idea would be to order 12 or more for a dinner party and each guest gets to choose how they want their dessert. No longer do you have to stress if everyone is enjoying their dessert, because they made their own.

Flow With It

Its the first of the month, no longer the first of the year. That is why you are probably reading this on your couch as Jake breaks another girls heart on The Bachelor instead of working up a sweat on the elliptical. So starting back on the cardio may cause some cardiac arrest so take it easy with a little more zen. In San Fran you can head to Urban Flow, to begin your life long yoga practice. This is a donation based business, aka pay what you can afford to experience excellent health benefits. The suggested amount is 10 to 20 dollars. Your donations then create community outreach programs serve the less fortunate. All classes are taught by certified instructors in Vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa is flow based yoga where each movement melds into each other. The room is not warm, not a heat box like some of those other yoga joints, your body needs to be warm to get into those poses. Appropriate music accompanies the class to settle your mind and focus on your poses. Remember to bring your own mat and towel, it keeps germs to a minimum. Look at the schedule, see which one fits in your life, and soon enough you will be able to wrap your leg around your torso.