I spent most of last week sick in bed with the flu. It could have been a miserable time, but one of the networks was running the Karate Kid movies and I managed to Tivo them. Instant entertainment.

Anyway, I had to smile when I saw this Ralph Macchio Karate Kid T-Shirt. It come in both male and female styles (though I’ve linked to the female version), and it’s just $20. Not bad.

It’s not often that I see “real” jewelry that I would be willing to pay for. I love the sparkly things as much as the next girl, but you can usually find what you’re looking for without spending the cash to get the real thing. I would make an exception for this Graduated Sapphire Nautical Wave Pendant, though.

While the site describes the necklace as nautical, it seems small enough and subtle enough to wear on a regular basis. I love the varying colors of the sapphires, and the wave looks almost symbolic of the wild, untameable woman who wear the piece. At $399, it’s a little pricy, but certainly no more than a lot of purses or good shoes these days. Given the fact that you can keep the necklace forever, I think it’s actually kind of a deal (love the woman-logic?).

I’m not sure why I’ve never heard of Beat the Intro. Maybe I’m just totally out of touch these days. Or maybe it’s just a hidden gem. Either way, it sounds pretty darn cool.

The game itself sounds kind of like the home version of the old “Name That Tune” game show. Now that we have things like DVDs and CDs, I guess it’s much easier to make games like this reality. There are over 3000 questions, too, so it’s not one of those games you’ll only get to play once or twice before you know everything. Even better, the music in the game spans 4-5 decades, so it’s not like all the young people will be beating the old people, or vice versa. Your only hope for a clean victory is to be extremely well rounded, musically.

For around $20, I’m sold. I’ll definitely be picking up a copy sometime before the next major family event. How else can I keep the aunts quiet about their medical problems while also preventing my mom from asking me why I’m not married?

Beat the Intro-Ultimate Music Trivia Game
Price: $21.12

This mug is making me giggle this morning. The idea is that you have a simple mug showing Adam and Eve, covered by fig leaves so you don’t see the naughty bits. When you add hot coffee, though, the fig leaves fade away to reveal their anatomical correctness.

I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked, since Adam and Eve are said to be the original troublemakers…but I suspect that this mug could get a girl (or guy) in some trouble in a politically correct workplace. If you work with anyone like Angela on The Office, I don’t recommend bringing one of these to work.

Dinosaurs have been gone for roughly 65 million years now, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t occasionally pour some out for our dead jurassic homies - I’m talking about the T Rex, the Brontosaurus, the Stegosaurus, and especially those crazy raptors. However, if you’d prefer something a little cleaner (and something that’s less of a drain on your supply of OE), try this Dinosaurs: Never Forget t-shirt.The shirt comes in olive and is sold only in men’s sizes - which is no big deal to me, as a men’s small in American Apparel is actually a pretty decent women’s shirt. They’re reasonably long and fitted, which is kind of hard to find these days. Anyway, the shirt features a brontosaurus, which may not be the most attractive dinosaur, but at least it doesn’t have disproportionate little Matthew McConaughey arms like the T-Rex.

In grade school, I was a huge nerd. At any given time, my little backpack would be stuffed with books, pens, pencils, protractors, and the like. Unfortunately, little kids’ backpacks aren’t made to stand up to that sort of thing. I can remember more than one incident where my backpack burst in public and everything fell out. I could have used something a little stronger…

If you’ve ever tried to open one of those Tyvek bags that’s been sealed shut, you know just how strong they are. While scissors can make quick work of them, they’ve virtually impossible to rip or tear. Some brilliant soul realized that the strength could be put to good use in bag form, and thus we have the Tyvek Market Bags.

Uncommon Goods is carrying these Tyvek bags for $65-85, and given the fact that they are waterproof and practically indestructible with normal use, I’d say it’s worth it. Plus, they’ve super-cute and unique. I bet they’re a great conversation starter when people notice the weird-looking Tyvek fibers.

Given the writer’s strike, it’s hard to say exactly when 24 and Jack Bauer are returning, but we all know it will happen at some point. In the mean time, you can express your love of the show with this “Bauer Power” T-Shirt.

The shirt features a great picture of Jack Bauer on the front, with a rainbow placed inexplicably behind his head. I’m really not sure what that’s about, unless it’s some kind of visual manifestation of the “Bauer Power” as it radiates from his body. Luckily, they had the good sense to offer the Jack Bauer “Bauer Power” t-shirt in both men and women’s sizes. It would be great for a night out at the local dive bar, and even better for the eventual 24 season premiere party that one of your friends is bound to throw.

I just wish they’d send in the Bauer Power to negotiate the writer’s strike already. I totally support the writers in their very reasonable demands, but I wish the networks would hurry up and just give them what should be theirs.

I’m still not 100% sure if I think the Yoga Toes Toe Stretchers are gross and creepy or strangely awesome. On one hand, it looks a little painful and seems like it could get a little nasty after a while. On the other hand, haven’t you ever noticed how super-nice your feet feel after you take out those nail polish toe separators?

What do you think? Are the Yoga Toes toe-tally awesome or just weird?

I never would have guessed that I’d find something cool in a catalog that my grandma reads, but it has happened. I’m more than a little smitten with these Silver Metal Wall Tiles

They come in singles and sets of 2, and you can buy squares or triangles. They have several colors, but I mostly just like the chrome and black. What do you think?

Given the fact that many of my friends are totally unreasonable when it comes to wedding registries - they don’t register, they only add really expensive stuff, or they don’t add enough stuff - I’ve gotten kind of creative when it comes to picking out wedding gifts. I just hate giving cash/gift cards, as they seem to say, “I didn’t care enough to put any thought into this.” Sometimes I pick the perfect gift and my friend is thrilled. I’ve also struck out a couple of times.

I’m happy to say, thought, that I’ve found the perfect gift. This Personalized Baking Pan shows planning, foresight, and best of all, it gives you a chance to remind her of her brand new married name! What can be better than looking down at a great, functional gift, and getting a reminded of the fact that you now have a partner for life? The lid makes it perfect for baking stuff to take to grown-up, married people kind of events, too.