Personal Finance News

As a kid, my mom used every trick in the Motherhood Manual for making clothes fit as long as possible. "No honey, adding a ruffle on the hem of the jeans makes them look cool!" she'd insist. Or, "For heaven's sake, just roll up the cuffs," and of course the classic, "wear thick socks, you'll grow into them."

And as usual, she was right. Kids grow. Fast. ThreadUP, the online clothing swap shop WalletPop covered last year, is launching the "seeding phase" of its kid-sized style solution. No hemming or letting out seams required. Instead, ThredUP will enable parents to facilitate equitable clothing trades online. Members will list outgrown clothes (in good condition) in exchange for sizes and styles they need. Does junior need ski pants? Just ask. Do perfectly good clothes crowd closets and drawers? Box 'em up and ship 'em out. Starting now, beta users can earn a swap on the site for free.

Are you adventurous, outgoing, possess enviable grooming habits and a clean, fresh scent? Can you surf, ski or snowboard? Wanna rev up that resume and wage war on perspiring pits at the same time? Old Spice is looking to hire two ambitious, adventure-seeking guys for one week in June to travel to a couple of the best smelling places on earth. It's a global grooming stunt aimed at promoting Old Spice's newest brand, the Fresh Collection, and stamping out stinky sweat as we know it.

One lucky ambassador at (under)arms will be sent to Fiji, the other to the famed Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. Both will be mentored by professionals who know a thing or two about xtreme-sweat. Professional snowboarder, Gretchen Bleiler and professional surfer, Anastasia Ashley will help enable their proteges to perform an itinerary of tasks designed to K.O. the B.O.

In addition to being monitored by talented and babelicious, world class athletes, the newly anointed armpit enthusiasts will also be outfitted with $5,000 and any equipment they may require -- such as a helmet with video mount, rugby shirts (yes, really), and of course, deodorant. Think something smells fishy? Think again.

Interns must choose between two " jobs" per location each day.

For example in Zermatt: "Don traditional Swiss lederhosen and tear up the mountain while snowboarding some of the world's best snow. Attach 10 Velcro-padded sticks of Old Spice Matterhorn to the lederhosen suspenders and hand out to five other skiers and snowboarders on the mountain – while yelling out "You smell like Matterhorn!!" – at the same time. Use your helmet cam to capture video of you in action."

Comedian Erma Bombeck once wrote that her second favorite household chore was ironing and the first was hitting her head on the top bunk bed until she fainted.

Although there are many who agree with Bombeck and would prefer to sweep the room with only a glance, there are also those (and you know who you are) who have been known to catch a buzz from a good Swiffer session. Personally, my own enthusiasm for housework falls somewhere between company's-coming-code-red, and I-can't-put-this-book-down-slob-fest. So, when I heard about a website called, AltUse.com, an extensive listing of imaginative ways to use everyday commodities, I decided to turn this week's scrub sesh into a science experiment.

On the site, members are encouraged to divulge secret strategies for solving just about anything. Insomnia? Try vinegar. Want to make your own hummingbird food? Sugar and water! Looking for ways to cut costs on health and beauty aids? Think olive oil. Need a hangover remedy? Use bananas, a cucumber, baking soda, or ginger root! A cure for warts? Duct tape! The clever crowd of thrifty do-it-yourselfers at Altuse.com seems full of new ways to look at old standbys and save money. Out of deodorant? Use a lemon! Who knew!

In a case of things are tough all over, the Paramount Realty Group of America Corp. filed a lawsuit on behalf of Paolo Zampolli, against his former landlord, Iceland mogul Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his wife, Ingibjorg Palmadottir, for installing an allegedly "ugly" Ikea kitchen into a swanky $312,000 co-op rental apartment on the 16th floor at 50 Gramercy Park North. Hmmm .. HGTV or Judge Judy?

It seems the Johannessons are being called on the faux-Persian carpet by their tenant for committing a Nordic no-no of Viking range proportions. According to the suit, the embattled Icelanders failed to make promised renovations on time and when they finally did the kitchen was deemed unsuitable -- read cheap -- for such a luxurious home.

Kids have built-in radar when it comes to detecting something that's supposed to be good for them, and educational games are definitely on the no-fly list. So, when I heard about The Great Piggybank Adventure, a free online game for kids ages 8-14, I have to admit I was skeptical. How is a financial planning game going to compete with Pokemon and Club Penguin? Would kids really choose to spend free time practicing the fine art of money management?

I didn't think so, until I took a look at the site. Colorful, three-dimensional graphics are the backdrop for a virtual board game that was developed as a partnership between T. Rowe Price and Disney. Stuart Ritter, certified financial planner for T. .Rowe Price, and a co-creator of the game told WalletPop, while his firm supplied the educational component, Disney "brought the magic and experience of making things fun for kids." Ritter acknowledged that kids can "smell homework" a mile away, and says the team worked hard to create an experience that would provide learning as a by-product of something that is first and foremost -- fun.

Look out Judy Jetson, Electrolux plans to make pots and pans seem so last century. Henrik Otto, world renowned director of Global Design for Electrolux in Sweden envisions smart kitchens of 2050 as a cross between the Sci-Fi channel and the Food Network.

Designed to address a population the UN predicts will live mainly in cities (74%) and exceed 9 billion world wide, Otto and his team believe the future lies in appliances that are energy efficient, serve multiple functions and relate to the architecture of the home in a symbiotic (read networked) way.

Sound cool? It is. Check out the video:

There's a reason Olympic athletes mouth the words, "Thanks, Mom" into the cameras as they hold their medals aloft. Mothers spend countless hours waiting, watching, driving and cheering them on and they spend a small fortune on tournament fees, coaching, travel and sports equipment. Being the mom of an Olympic athlete is truly an Olympic-worthy effort.

While U.S. Olympic sponsor, Procter & Gamble, may not be the first to recognize the unsung heroes behind the athletes, they are the first to award Team USA moms with their own Olympic sponsorships.

The modest, unassuming buildings grouped together near Snow Canyon State Park in Utah, are not what most people imagine when they hear "#1 Most Popular Resort in America," but that's what a partnership with one of the most watched shows on TV can do for a place. However, what Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge lacks in first impressions, it makes up for in its mission.

Billed as a "compassionate" boot camp and blessed with a supersized endorsement from Biggest Loser, the little-resort-that-could offers viewers the chance to succeed at their own challenges. No cameras, team colors or $250,000 in prize money, but no one can vote you out either.

It's for those of us who have sat on the couch and wondered what it would be like to work with Jillian and Bob, face calculated temptations, physical challenges, make friends, er, alliances, and get weighed on a giant digital scale on national TV, okay, maybe not that last part. I am also pretty sure they don't force you to wear unflattering bike shorts and sport bra combos or go shirtless on national TV, so it's already less painful than the NBC version.

Where I come from, traipsing around in underwear that possesses only a memory of elastic is referred to as doing the walk of shame. But maybe that's just me. In a message that manages to channel both Lady GaGa and the dudes from The Full Monty, Dockers debuted its newest ad campaign during Sunday's Super Bowl and Testosterone Fest aptly entitled, Men Without Pants.

Striding boldly up a grassy knoll, wearing nothing but tighty-whities and casual Friday separates, an a cappella group of regular Joe's sing an anti-pant anthem and provide a cheeky look at Docker's new message to Man-kind: it's time to take back masculinity and start "wearing the pants."




Inspired by the idea that somewhere between manscaping and metrosexuals, manhood has taken a hit, Jim Calhoun, president of Dockers Brand, said he hopes the campaign will spark a discussion about what it means to be a real man in the 21st century. In his words, one who can "change a tire and a diaper." Personally, I've got a cell phone and Triple A, if push comes to shove, I pick diaper. But then I'm not a guy.

Pointing to recently-released studies from the Pew Research Group (The Rise of Wives), an article in the New York Times (More Men Marrying Wealthier Women by Sam Roberts), and an NPR report (Human Male: Still a Work in Progress), Dockers says it is capitalizing on an emerging trend. Man-up guys, step away from the stonewash and get yourselves some serious anti-wussie wear: khaki pants. Or, do your laundry.

However, if finances don't allow, Dockers has got your back(side). It will be giving away 2,010 pair of free khaki pants at Dockers.com. (Insert chest bump, here) Nothing like a little wrinkle-resistant twill to put some swagger in a guy's step.

Real men who download Shazam software to their smartphones can also tag the ad and enter to win pants via mobile. (OMG, knuckles and a shot of Scotch neat).

Winners will find out instantly if they have scored a pair (of pants) and can enter daily until February 15. In the meantime, put down the quiche, and may the best man win.