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I just stumbled upon this deal and thought that I would post it because I’m not sure how long it will last.  Recently, Amazon has been lowering the prices on certain albums and the latest album to be reduced is Creed’s “Greatest Hits” album.  The album consists of 13 tracks and if you would have downloaded it at regular price, you’d be paying over $13.00 for it.  Definitely a deal if you’re a Creed fan.  If you’d like to find out more information, check it out!

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Recently, I had the fortunate pleasure of spilling a few drops of iced tea on my cell phone.  I have an enV2 and although phone was not flipped open when the spillage occurred, the stickiness made its way to the lower half of my QWERTY keyboard.  Needless to say, I was not too happy about this.  So, after many attempts click the keys so many times to free the sticky mess, I knew I had to take matters into my own hands.

The first cleaning method that crossed my mind was water but then I decided against that because I didn’t want to have to invest in a new phone.  So, for some reason, I decided that rubbing alcohol would work out much better.  I guess I thought that since it cleans out bacteria from flesh wounds, it could most certainly stick it to the stickiness.  Now, my method of application was going to be tricky.  Did I want to use a cotton ball to ensure the alcohol was generously applied or did I want to use a Q-Tip for expert precision.  Once again, I went big and decided on the cotton ball.  I wanted to vanquish this stickiness and never have to deal with it again.

Much to my surprise, my rubbing alcohol trick cleared up the stickiness on my phone keypad.  I used it on the front and the inside.  I noticed that the rubbing alcohol leaves a slight residue and smell on the keypad so going over the keypad with a slightly damp paper towel will do the trick.  So, as a summary, here are the steps for cleaning your cell phone keypad:

1. Locate a bottle of rubbing alcohol.  DO NOT use water because it may seep in and cause you some real issues.
2. Apply to a cotton ball and gently rub the cotton ball over your keypad(s).
3. Once the rubbing alcohol has air dried, go over the keypad with a slightly damp paper towel.

I hope that this tips can help you out if you ever run into a sticky keypad issue with your phone.

What other methods have you found to be helpful in cleaning day to day devices?  What else do you use rubbing alcohol to clean?  Post your ideas in the comment section!

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I’m back with the weekly hot deals updates.  There aren’t too many that I found this week but I’m going to fill some space with some reminders.  Enjoy and happy bargain hunting!

• Reminder: Today and tomorrow are the last two days to take advantage of the Restaurant.com offer of $25 gift certificates for only $2.  Don’t put this off!
• When you sign up at Million Subs, Quizno’s will email you a coupon for a free sub of your choice.  I signed up but I haven’t recieved my coupon yet…I think I’ll try again to be sure.
• Pac Sun now has a a plethora of t-shirts available for as low as $9.99.  Both guys and girls shirts are on sale.  If you’re a Pac Sun fan, this may be a great way to start off the spring season.
• Deep Discount is offering a ton of movies for as low as $4.99.  There are a wide variety to choose from so if you’re looking for some cheap movies to buy during these tough times, here would be a good place to start.
• No matter your age, I’m sure you could benefit (or know someone who could) from Lego’s current sale.  They are offering a wide variety of items for marked down prices.  If you’re a Lego fan or have a child who would put them to good use, check it out!
• Reminder: All foot longs are still $5.00 at Subway.  If you’re looking to eat on the cheap, Subway may be a good option for you.

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I’ve changed the name of my weekly post detailing about cool articles and stories that I have stumbled upon in the week from Wednesday Hot List to Wednesday Weekly to avoid any confusion with the Friday Hot Deals post.  I’m not sure how I feel about the name “Wednesday Weekly” so if anyone has any ideas in regards to the name for the Wednesday post, please comment or email me.  Also, due to the fact that I didn’t post a Friday Hot Deals post last week, I’m going to include the deals I found last week in this post.  Anyway, I digress to what you’re really here to read…Enjoy!

• The Money Smart Life blog details why having your personal brand makes job hunting a lot easier.  If you’ve been thinking about creating your own personal brand or want to find out more, this is a great place to start.
• Mara Rogers from Secrets For Money details the best dollar store deals.  I thought everything at the dollar store was a deal but Mara highlights the deals with the most value.
• Want to know some cheap and healthy foods to make during these hard times?  Secrets For Money lists 10 cheap and healthy creations for those trying to make a lot out of a little.
• Applebee’s is the latest restaurant to design a menu offering more bang for your buck.  Check out their “2 for $20″ menu here.
• Restaurant.com has hit the lowest I’ve seen on their gift certificates.  Until the end of this month, all $25 gift certificates are only $2!
• Want a few more blogs to read?  Good.  Here is a list of 25 blogs that have ranked as the “most valuable” blogs.  Yes, we’re talking about money.  Not only can you find out some interesting stats about the blogs listed but you can also find some good reading material!

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Just a reminder, today is National Pancake Day and IHOP is giving away a free short stack of pancakes to all customers who come in before 10pm.  All that IHOP asks is that a donation is made to the Children’s Miracle Network (donations can be made on site).  Enjoy!  More awesome deals will be coming as the week progresses!

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Last Friday I went to see The International.  It looked pretty interesting, and I though that with Clive Owen included, it would be a really good movie, one of those surprise hits that’s really good but nobody sees it.  Unfortunately, I was dead wrong.  On to that a little later though.  For the plot, the International is basically about a DA’s office in Manhattan who is working to figure out more about an international bank, who is suspected of funding terrorism/weapons, etc.  They try to gather evidence and put together a case to bring down the bank.  Sounds pretty good, right?  Wrong.

There are really only two good points about The International:
-Clive Owen; who now that I think about it has a tendency to pick both good and bad movies (good: Derailed, Shoot Em Up, Inside Man, Sin City; bad: Children of Men, The International)
-A really good shootout scene in the middle of the movie in a round hotel/museum place with people coming out of nowhere.  It gives a little bit of excitement before you go back to boredom and confusion

There are a lot of negative things I could say about The International, but I’ll try to keep it to a minimum.  First, the plot seemed good but turned out to be horrible.  There were too many characters involved and the movie got confusing, and there was no attempt to fix it.  Leading from this, without knowing what’s going on, and with the movie dragging on a bit, you tend to get bored, and care even less about what’s going on.  There are no action scenes at all (except for the shootout, which in retrospect is basically the entire trailer) and the movie is way more political than it should be.  Adding Naomi Watts to the mix doesn’t do nearly enough to fix one huge accident of a movie.  That’s right, an accident; meaning no one meant to do it, and nobody wants it to happen, but it does and someone has to take the blame.  I place on it anyone involved in the making of the movie that did nothing to stop it or fix it so it didn’t turn into the disaster that it is.

Overall, I hated this movie.  The International is too political, very confusing, boring, and has nothing that will interest you except for a shootout scene, which makes up the whole trailer.  You may even want to search for it on YouTube; if you can find it there, then you’ve seen the movie.  This, so far, is the worst movie of 2009.  Don’t waste your time or money in the theatres or on DVD.  Rating wise, I would say 3/10 (but only for the shootout and Clive Owen).

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Sorry for the late update.  School and work have been hectic the past few days so I’m just now getting around to posting.  Enjoy the finds!

• Like going to concerts?  Check out these 5 websites for finding and attending concerts/other events that are happening near you.
• If you need inspiration for anything, check out this massive list of inspirational blog posts.  The list is broken down by category and really could be used by anyone if they are looking for inspiration in a particular area.
• I’m enrolled in a creative writing class this semester and ironically stumbled upon this post about why a person should read poetry.  There are some pretty good reasons in the list and even if you don’t like poetry, you should still read the poem at the end of the article (mainly because it’s pretty hilarious).
• Mara Rogers from Secrets for Money gives a few household tips to save time and money.  The tips range from putting plastic wrap in the freezer to cleaning up a carpet stain.
• Have a Mac?  TechRadar gives a slew of tips for saving time and energy when using OS X.  (As a Mac user myself, there are some gems in here!)
• There are plenty of websites out there that will tell you how to do something.  The hard part is finding the best one for what you’re looking for.  Mashable has created a list of more than 60 “how to” resources, all broken down by category.  If you need to know how to do something or just want to learn something new, check it out!

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I’m not too sure how long these awesome deals will last so I wanted to get them posted ASAP.

Currently, Best Buy is offering numerous DVDs for only $3.99.  Titles include Chaos, Saw IV, Dirty Dancing, and Employee of the Month.  Be sure to get the ones you’re interested in quick before the price goes back up or they are out of stock.

GoDaddy.com is offering domain names at the ridiculous price of $1.00.  As advertised on their site, new users can register their domains for $1.99 but when you enter the code LOVE99, you are able to get half off of your domain, thus taking it down to $1.00.  Also, there is a mandatory ICANN registration fee of 20 cents when you register a domain.  If you’ve been thinking about starting a website, now is the time!

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Editor’s note:  Sorry for the delay in posting this week’s edition of Hot Deals!  School has been piling up and I’ve tried to post as much as I can.  Thanks!
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Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching and it’s time to finalize all of those dinner plans and pick up those last minute gifts.  Have no fear – this week’s edition of Hot Deals will give you a lot of information to assist you in anything Valentine’s Day related.  Enjoy!

Reminder: IHOP is celebrating National Pancakes Day on February 24, 2009 from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM and will provide customers with a free short stack of pancakes.  All that IHOP asks is that a donation is made to the Children’s Miracle Network.  Take out orders are not allowed and one short stack of pancakes per customer.

The Discovery Channel is having a sale on their DVDs and savings of up to 75% can be acheived.  Also, the code EML2009 will save $5 on a $25 or more purchase.

Subway is now offering all of their footlong subs for only $5.  It has not been announced how long this is going to last but enjoy it while it does!

Enjoy an extra 30% off of your next Kohls purchase by using the code PRES30DAY.  The offer only lasts until 2/17 and is only valid for those using a Kohls card.

T.G.I. Friday’s is now offering a sweet special that allows customers to buy one entree and get a second entree free.  Bring in this coupon and present it to your server so it can be applied.  Offer not valid on Valentine’s Day.

P.F. Chang’s is currently offering a four course meal for two at only $40.  I’ve personally taken advantage of this offer and it’s a great value.  Follow the instructions on this special menu insert and enjoy!

During the first wekend of every month, Bank of America customers receive free admission to over 70 museums across the nation.  Check out the official list on the Bank of America website and see if museums in your state are participating.

Target has put Trivial Pursuit – Digital Choice on clearance for $12.49.  The game was originally priced at $49.99.  If you’re a trivia lover and can’t live without your gadgets, this game is for you!

American Eagle is now offering free shipping when you use the code 78946018.  If you’re a big AE lover/shopper, be sure to take advantage of this offer before February 16.

Texas Roadhouse is offering a dinner for two for only $29.99.  This offer is only valid this weekend so be sure to act fast!

Staples has a pretty good selection of items on it’s office supply clearance section.  The products range from duffle bags to photo coasters.  Be sure to act fast so you don’t lose out on anything that you want or need!

Valentine’s Day Ideas/Deals

How to Have a Frugal & Happy Valentine’s Day – This post gives some ideas on how to have a cheap yet romantic Valentine’s Day.  For some other ideas, don’t forget to visit my Valentine’s Day post.

Save Money of Valentine’s Day (17 Tips Inside) - Here are 17 additional tips for those wishing to save some money on Valentine’s Day.

Recession Romance: Twelve Cheap Date Ideas- DivineCaroline complies her own list of recession romance ideas.  If you’re interested in having fun with your special someone, be sure to check out the link.

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Last night I went to see the midnight showing of Friday the 13th.  The plot, for those of you who don’t know, is very straight forward.  Jason goes to Camp Crystal Lake one summer and accidentally drowns.  His mom is upset and goes around killing the camp counselors, until they find that Jason isn’t really dead; he comes back and goes on a killing spree.  His birthday, per the title of the movie, is Friday the 13th.

There are lots of positives to the new version of Friday the 13th.  For one, it’s a horror movie, and it includes all the standard cliches for horror movies.  There are plenty of people that get killed and there’s even a little more in depth plot for this version (I won’t say what it is, it will spoil it!).  The killings almost always include a machete, which is Jason’s weapon of choice, and they happen in different places around Camp Crystal Lake.  The movie keeps you interested the whole time and there are very few parts where you’re bored; during those parts there’s some decent one liners for comic relief.

There are a few negatives to Friday the 13th.  There is a portion early in the movie that is a little slow, but that’s just to set up the plot and is overcome by the ending.  Also, I had high hopes that this movie would be done well enough to scare the crap out of you (not literally, of course), but it didn’t.  Insteady, there were plenty of things that will make you jump out of your seat (loud noises, flashes of light, etc.).  The lighting is mostly dark, to go with the fact that it’s a horror movie, but at times it can be too dark and the motions too quick for you to realize what’s going on.  This is very minor though.

Overall, Friday the 13th is the first great horror movie of 2009.  It’s a good remake and is done well, with all the standard cliches included.  It will scare you a little, but nothing to the point of making it unwatchable.  The ending also leaves you wanting more (which hopefully will be in the form of a sequel).  For a rating, I give Friday the 13th 8/10.

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