On Wednesday, April 27th, Baskin Robbins will run their 31-Cent Scoop Night, which has become a yearly tradition. It's a great way to take the family, friends or significant other out on the cheap. More importantly, however, the night is dedciated to donating to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). If you have a spare buck or two (as I imagine you would, since you're getting ice cream for next to nothing), please donate, as all the money donated to each Baskin Robbins goes to helping local fire charities.

As a result of this event, the Flavor of the Month is called Firehouse #31; here's a description of the ice cream in the words of Baskin Robbins:

We're bringing the heat with a crunchy hot cinnamon ribon laced through red cinnamon ice cream and packed with hot candy pieces! Vanilla ice cream puts out the fire.

By the way, I just want to point out how cool Baskin Robbins' logo is; it's been out for a few years now, but I just wanted to point out how cool it is that the initials are colored so there's a pink 31 right there in the middle. It's definitely one of my favorite logos from the last few years.

CSN Stores Reader Giveaway II

Well, we did it back in November, and we're doing it again- the CSN Stores Giveaway is back, people!

If you don't know about CSN Stores, well let me tell you- it's a veritable smorgasbord, if you will, of merchandise. Around this time of year, life can get stressful for a grad student like me, and I could use some 1200 count sheets, a bigger bed, or maybe even this Eames lounge chair. Sure, it's a little pricey, but if you buy cheap, you get cheap. I'll be expecting delivery soon.

How does this benefit you? Well, the good people over at CSN Stores have been kind enough to supply me with a $35 gift certificate to help you get a little something for yourself! The best part? You don't have to buy anything first, register for this blog, or click on a bunch of crappy ads to win!

You'll gain an entry in the drawing every time you make a comment on this blog entry- only post once a day. The last day for you to enter will be on February 23rd, which means you can get up to TEN entries in the drawing! On February 24, I'll draw the winner by random number generator. For example, if there are 500 posts, I'll set the generator for a number between 1 and 500. If 177 comes up, the person with post #177 wins the contest.

So post early and post often to get a $35 bump in your online shopping budget! Don't forget to shop at http://www.csnstores.com/ for tons of great deals!

WINNER'S VERIFICATION CODE:
WAFFLES ARE FRAUDULENT PANCAKES.

Moleskine Notebooks...Serious Business

For the past year or so, I've had a Moleskine notebook. The notebook of choice for visionaries like Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Oscar Wilde, the Moleskine is a memo-size leather bound notebook. Considering they cost quite a bit more than a normal notebook (one Moleskine can cost as much as $22), they're a hefty investment. But from what I've seen so far, it's worth it.

I've used mine to draw new concept logos for companies, marketing ideas, and any other random musings that come to mind. If I did these in a normal notebook, it would be dog eared, bent, and scratched over a year's time. But not the Moleskine- those things are built to last. Thanks to the leather bounding and the acid free pages, my notes look as good as the day I wrote them down. My laptop bag is no place to put fragile items, and my Moleskine comes out every day looking perfect.

Moleskine also has a limited edition Pac Man line right now for the inner geek in all of us.

Over the past few years, the company has branched out, offering a whole series of notebooks that serve different purposes. There's a graph notebook, a storyboard notebook perfect for ad execs on the go, a planner, and a travel notebook, complete with maps, a photo holder, and a notes section to jot down all of your favorite places to go.

Although it costs nearly $20, a mid-size Moleskine sketchbook (5 x 8 1/2) is perfect for those who want to feed their creative side. Even with a laptop, smartphone, and iPad, I still get a sense of satisfaction when physically writing something down. Having the added protection of knowing it won't get messed up without me knowingly trying is the real selling point; I could go out and buy regular notebooks, but their "economy" build means that if the cover gets damaged, it's only a matter of time before the pages inside get messed up. For that, I have to recommend that you ditch the notebook you've been doodling in since high school, and buy one of these pronto.

SPECIAL: READER GIVEAWAY!

Hey all! Well, it seems SOMEONE has been reading my blog...and because of that, one of you readers will actually benefit from it!

CSN is an online shopper's dream- it's comprised of more than 200 online stores that contain a smorgasbord of merchandise! You can buy a bevy of cookware to make your holiday dinner just perfect, or a suitcase if you're one of those "out of town" types that can't get away fast enough. Regardless of your holiday social preferences, you can also buy toys, bedding, power tools, and even shoes- these people have got you covered!

How does this benefit you? Well, the good people over at CSN Stores have been kind enough to supply me with a $35 gift certificate to help you get your holiday shopping started on the right foot! The best part? You don't have to buy anything from me first! You'll gain an entry in the drawing every time you make a comment on this blog entry- only post once a day. The last day for you to enter will be on November 30th, which means you can get up to NINE entries in the drawing! On December 1st, I'll draw the winner by random number generator. For example, if there are 300 posts, I'll set the generator for a number between 1 and 300. If 246 comes up, the person with post #246 wins the contest.

So post early, and post often to get a $35 head start on your holiday shopping! Don't forget to shop at http://www.csnstores.com/ for tons of great deals!