Double Shot Press Mug - brew coffee on the go

As it is getting cooler out these days, I thought this would be a good product to show you all. The Double Shot Press Mug from REI is a coffee brewer and mug all in one. So, whether you're enjoying a weekend camping and need your morning pick me up, or you're just on the go and in a rush, now you can enjoy fresh coffee anywhere! I'm feeling warmer already!

LEGO Ice Tray - fun for snack time

Everybody knows LEGOs. And if you have a young child, he/she probably has bunches of them strewn all over the house. Well, to make it more fun, you can add this LEGO Ice Tray to your repertoire. It's a creative way to add more fun to snack time drinks, or you could even use it as a candy mold if you want to spice it up a bit. LEGOs aren't just for playtime anymore! 

VRBO - vacation rentals by owner

You may have noticed that I missed a couple of posts (Friday and Monday); that's because we needed some R&R, and we took off to Destin, FL. Every now and then we all need to unplug and get away. And that brings me to today's "Oh, Cool!" It's VRBO.com; a great site where you can book vacation rentals all over the world. And these vacation rentals aren't hotels or inns, these are folks 2nd homes/vacation homes that they are renting out to you. So, often for the same price or less of a hotel room, you can book a sweet house at the beach, or maybe a cozy cabin in the mountains. Whatever your preference, just be sure to take some time to get away and recharge every once in a while. 

And as a plug, if you're looking to go to Destin anytime soon, I know of a great house you can rent, and I may even be able to get you a deal! Check out this house - http://www.vrbo.com/161555. If you're interested, let me know!

Tether - access the internet anywhere

For those of you who are a bit more tech savy and have a blackberry, here is a pretty cool app. As they put it on their website..."Have you ever been stuck in an airport, hotel room, coffee shop, or on the road with no Internet? Frustrated paying $9.95 for 30 minutes of internet service? Resorting to your Blackberry but wished you could use your laptop? Tether is here to provide a solution to all those worries! Tether is an application that allows your PC to take advantage of your Blackberry's data plan, allowing you to access the Internet on your laptop anywhere there is cellular coverage from your BlackBerry." Hey, and today only, they are running a special price; it is 50% off!

GetHuman - the ultimate consumer tool

Are you stuck on hold waiting for a customer service rep as you read this post? Can't seem to get through to a human being or waiting on hold for what seems like hours? Then get ready for the answer to your prayers. GetHuman is your "ultimate consumer tool with phone numbers, shortcuts, reviews, tips, and more for companies worldwide." So next time you need to call a company, check this site first, and learn the tips on how to get through quickly and effectively. No more waiting, no more talking to computers, and no more dialing around for the right numbers. Don't you feel your stress melting away already?

Pogoplug - your personal online storage

Okay, so you may remember me writing about Dropbox a little while back. Dropbox offers online storage and sharing of your files. Well, if Dropbox wasn't robust enough for your needs, Pogoplug is! Pogoplug takes a different angle on the whole online storage / cloud computing thing. Rather than saving or linking your files online, it simply hooks your external hard drive up to the internet; thus, you can access anything on your external hard drive from anywhere with any device. It is of course password protected, there are no ongoing fees, and it is incredibly easy to use. You basically just plug one end into your computer and the other into your external hard drive. Then, voila, you are your own online storage! The device is only $129. So, if you have lots of files you need to access away from home or you have pictures you want to share with others, this may be a great option.

Beer Garden - grow your own beer

I saw this and have to write about it, as my brother-in-law brews his own beer. This product, brought to you by the folks at ThinkGeek, allows you to grow your own hops/wheat/barley to use in your own beer brewing. So now, not only can people do all the brewing and fermenting, they can even grow the ingredients to put in the brew. This is perfect for my brother-in-law! And hey, I think he has a birthday coming up fairly soon! Do you know any beer brewing enthusiasts? If so, this might be a fun option for them too!

Terrafugia - making flying cars a reality

Do you remember watching The Jetsons fly around in their "car" as they went from home to work and everywhere in between? Well that family vehicle of the future is almost a reality. A bunch of MIT grads and MBAs are toiling away to make the first truly mainstream "Transition Roadable Aircraft" (aka Flying Car) through a company called Terrafugia. It's getting pretty close; the first models will probably cost close to $200,000, which is obviously way out of most our price ranges. But, just think, in 5 or 10 years, these vehicles could begin to come into our price ranges. Now, how much would that change our world? Cool!

Spokeo - not your grandma's phonebook

Okay, so this is a little scary. The folks at Spokeo have aggregated a huge amount of publicly available information on people. Try it on yourself. Visit their site and type in your name and city/state. You'll be amazed at what comes up. For those who want to snoop on others this is great, but for the average person, this is a bit creepy. Click HERE to see how you can remove your personal profile from this site. Of course, this information is all publicly available, but you can at least make it a little harder to get at.

BlogTalkRadio - let yourself be heard!

Have you ever listened to the radio in the morning and thought, "I would love to be on the radio!"? Well, now with the help of BlogTalkRadio you actually can! Their website allows anyone and everyone the ability to host a live, internet radio show by simply using their telephone. So, whether you want to rant about college sports or talk politics, you can broadcast yourself to the world. Hey, or maybe you're tired of your local radio stations and want a change. BlogTalkRadio has preserved millions of conversations on their site for you to listen to. Their site even integrates with your social networks, so you can quickly tell the world what you're up to! Now get out there and start talking!

Compassion International - sponsor a child

Growing up in extreme poverty in other countries is a statistic to many, but through Compassion International, last year it became a single name to us - Yoselin. Last fall we began sponsoring a young girl named Yoselin in Guatemala. By simply donating $38 a month, we are able to help her break the bond of poverty and grow into a strong, fulfilled Christian adult. We write back and forth with her and exchange pictures. It is awesome to know that we are changing the trajectory of her life forever. I highly recommend Compassion International, and I challenge you to think about sponsoring a child. Now, how "Oh, Cool" is that!

Finance Friday - Mint.com

If you're looking for a great way to manage your money, you need to check out Mint.com. Not only is it a great online tool to plan, budget, save, and do just about everything in terms of tracking your dollars, it's totally free! So, whether you're new at this whole budgeting and saving thing, or you're a pro who wants to take it to the next level, Mint.com has the tools you need to get it done - easily. And that's the key isn't it? If it's hard to do, you're not going to do it! Set-up on the site can take as little as five minutes, and then you're off and running. In this economy, every dollar counts, so don't let one get away without knowing where it went.

CrowdedInk - social media coffee mugs

Do you find yourself constantly hanging out on Facebook or tweeting with your friends on Twitter? If you just can't get enough of your friends online, now you can take them offline too! CrowdedInk has popped up to offer social media mugs. Basically, they'll take the profile pics of up to 184 of your friends and plaster them onto a coffee mug. That's a pretty cheery way to start your morning! They even have keychains, so you can take your friends with you wherever you go.

Cool-jams - tired of night sweats?

Tired of waking up at 2:00am in the morning drenched in sweat from getting too hot in your bed? Maybe your pregnant wife is always hot, no matter what time of day? Or may the love of your life has hit that point where the hot flashes are coming left and right? Interestingly enough, wicking clothes are no longer just for sports! Now you can get moisture wicking sleepwear from Cool-jams. They say their clothes even have a "cotton-like" feel, so you won't have to give up your comfort. They're definitely not cheap, but if you wake up often sweating, it may be a pretty cheap solution for a good night's sleep!

Identity Stronghold - keep your credit card safe

Do you have one of the new credit cards that has an RFID tag, so you can simply tap the credit card reader, rather than swipe your card? Well, it may make your purchases a little easier, but it also makes it easier for a criminal to steal your card number. If a thief with a card reader gets close enough to your purse or wallet, they can steal your card number. Check out the video on Identity Stronghold's website to see how this can happen. Luckily, this guy has come up with a pretty easy solution to the problem with a foil card sleeve. You can purchase them through their website if you have one of these cards. Also, if you have a Passport that is from 1996 or newer, then it has an RFID tag too. But don't worry, Identity Stronghold sells sleeves for those too. Now, no one has yet been caught stealing card numbers this way, but as you can see in the videos, it's an easy target. So my advice, if you are often in crowded areas where people could be getting close to your cards, then think about getting these card sleeves. If you aren't, then you you're probably all right.

LinkedIn - facebook for business

If you haven't gotten a LinkedIn account yet, you are missing out. LinkedIn is basically the Facebook for business networking. You set up your profile, listing out your previous job experience (basically your resume), and then you connect with all your current and previous business colleagues. This is THE BEST way to network when looking for a job because not only can you see all your business colleagues, but you can see all of THEIR business colleagues. So, if you want to work for "ABC Company", you may have a colleague or a colleague of a colleague that works there who can push you through the clutter. I actually got my current job this way. I currently have 125 connections on LinkedIn, but my extended network is almost 2,000! That's the power of LinkedIn!

WebMD - diagnose yourself

This one is one I use all the time; it's WebMD. If you are ever feeling sickly or just have a random question about your health, this is the place for answers. They even have a Symptom Checker (scroll down on the left). It's a good tool when you don't have any idea whats wrong; you can click on the part of the body that hurts, and it will zone in on possible causes.

P.S. This is why there was no post yesterday - my wife ended up with an incredibly severe case of Poison Ivy and Impetigo. Don't know what Impetigo is? Well, check it out on WebMD.