Daily Candy had a fun post this weekend called the Download V2. They recommend the soundtrack from The Great Gatsby which I enjoyed but found pretty discordant with the 20s era movie. I liked both the movie and the music just not together. (Has anyone seen it? Would you agree?) I also love the How to Cook Anything app ($4.99 on iTunes and worth every penny) by Mark Bittman (and the book, too.)
Here are some fun recommendations that were new to me:
Dots App – They say, “The premise is simple: String together as many like-colored circles as possible in 60 seconds. Before you know it, you’ve won the Nerd Dot trophy for completing twenty rounds. Twenty minutes of your life you won’t want back.” Make connections at nerdyoctopus.com. I say: FUNADDICTIVE! And I don’t even like games on phones – except Scrabble.
Circa News App – They say, “If staying up to date with news seems like a leisure activity, download Circa. Editors create easily digestible micro-articles for mobile phones, providing readers with the need-to-know essentials. If you want to stay informed as the story unfolds, follow it for updates. And, of course, share with friends via email, text, Twitter, and Facebook.” Get the latest news at cir.ca. I say: Terrific digestible news. I can see reading this on the bus to work daily! Expect shares friends.
Penguin My Library App – They say, “Shall we compare thee to a summer’s day? How about a poetry-knowing savant? You, lovely, can be both once you have Penguin Classics’s memorization game that’s an easy way to learn famous poems from greats such as William Blake, Emily Dickinson, John Keats, and others. There are five levels of difficulty, and it’s a fun way to exercise your brain.” Start memorizing at us.penguingroup.com. I say: Maybe if there were more hours in the day. It would be a cool skill to have!
Need a laugh? My friend, Diane, sent me a funny video from Gawker entitled: Guy’s Drunk Wife Tells Him a Lame Joke; He Animates the Result. They say, “Remember the other day when you were saying how much you loved the sketch series “Drunk History” but that you wished how instead of history it was a corny joke about tortilla chips that Morgan Patch told her husband Adam while sauced off her ass on a bottle of wine, which he then turned into an animated short?” Ta-Da! It cracked me up and if you don’t think it is funny, you will have only lost 1 minute and 30 seconds of your life.
OK – Mother’s Day has past, so I will stop bugging you, but there are still some great deals:
> As usual, I found fun stuff on Gilt City:
- Nationally get 50% off on stationary and custom invitations at Paper Style (up to $100 off!) or get 50% off from Bliss World on Bliss products ($20 for $40)
- In Chicago, Get up to 54% off of swedish massage, organic facials and mani-pedis at Savon Spa in Lakeview, try Bespoke Cuisine Cooking Classes– 40%+ off on BYOB cooking classes in the West Loop, dine at Pasteur in Edgewater (30 – 40% off and it includes wine!) or get 50% off on a variety of offers from Urban Kayaks.
- In NYC, get 40% off on dinner for 2 w/drinks or fried chicken meal for 4 at Fatta Cuckoo on the Lower East Side, check out great offers from the make up pros at Kimara Ahnert (60% off on 45-minute microcurrent treatment followed by makeup application would make a great gift!) or more NYC deals.
> Do you know about Abe’s Market? You should! It is “a marketplace to discover fantastic natural products. We help consumers understand what is in the products and meet the passionate people who make them.” They sell awesome natural products from a variety of small vendors. Their website has tons of cool information and a blog called the “scoop”:
- One cool thing to try is a Nature Box – get 5 samples to try for $5 and receive a $5 coupon for your next order’
- This week, they are offering free shipping on all orders for customers willing to pledge to do just one action (through 11:59 pm PST on 5/18; note that shipping is always free if you spend $49 on Abe’s. If you hit that, go out and do something good anyway!).
- Use code SPRING20 for an additional 20% off of your order!
> Enter to win one of 6 awesome hiking or biking trips from Explore! and Bootprints
> Get 10% off on $300 or more on Family Getaway with code MOTHERSDAY13 through 5/31. Awesome vacations and trips for families from the folks at Luxury Link.
> Hey runners:
- If you are in Chicago, register for the Run for Boston 5k in Libertyville on June 15th. 100% of race entry fees can benefit the Who Says I Can’t Foundation and directly to support the rehabilitation of those who lost limbs as a result of the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon. Not in Chicago? No problem! Check out the awesome raffle prizes for the virtual (a/k/a run wherever you are and report back!) race HERE by Marcia’s Healthy Slice. More great prizes being added including some of my awesome giveaways like 30 days worth of Energy Bits – get 25% off with code EricaFinds – and clothes from OKU Oxygen – get 10% off with code OKU10.
- Ladies, register for an Athleta Esprit de She event (like the 10K/5K here in Chicago on July 18 or one in many other cities!) and get a special bonus! Included with your paid registration is a one-year subscription to Self magazine ($12 value).
- It is the 25th year of Team in Training! Through May 31st, you can register for TNT and save $50 off the regular $100 fee. That’s just $50 for coaches that will expand your fitness level with workouts, nutrition and hydration clinics. And you’ll have staff members to help with fundraising support. Register today and save $50 with the code fa50act.
> It’s not too early to think of your favorite dads! Get 67% off on the “All American Medley” of meats from Omaha Steaks via Living Social
That’s all I have for now. It’s the LAST DAY for my $100 Home Depot card giveaway! What are you waiting for?