Everyone’s favorite ice cream peeps got something for the late-night peeps! How excited are you about this? I dont know about the potato chips being in the ice cream–but i bet thats gonna be the best part. Check out Slash/Food’s review of our favorite ice cream maker’s new treat below!

The Claims: Ben & Jerry’s Late Night Snack is vanilla bean ice cream with a salty caramel swirl and fudge-covered potato chip clusters.

Lady Gaga wants to marry her fans — to each other, that is!  According to Britain’s Heat Magazine, she’s filing paperwork to become an ordained minister in California so she can perform marriages there for gay fans. Not everyone seems pleased with Gaga’s stance, however. Gawker reports that Apple’s new Ping social network — which the singer shilled for at an event earlier this week — has been censoring her pro-gay marriage tweets.

Would you want Gaga to marry you and your partner? I think the demand for that will be wayyyy high haha…anyways, hope you all have a great long Labor Day weekend with your family and friends. Enjoy the cook-outs and the drinks. Drink repsonsibly and I will talk to you Tuesday night @ 7. Thank you for reading!  XoXo -OA

Indeed, Drew Barrymore is dishing out some love advice lately. In the new romantic comedy, Going the Distance, Drew Barrymore plays a woman involved in a passionate long-distance love affair. In real life, Drew says all her relationships are long-distance. Here are Drew’s tips for surviving love at a distance.

• Write letters. “[They're] the most thoughtful things you can do.” E-mail can be romantic, but tweets and Facebook are NOT.
• Make a plan. “It is essential, so you have something to look forward to.”
• Don’t let the separation stress you out. “That can become exhausting, and that wears on the relationship, and then it starts not to work.”
• Make each other laugh. “I may not have you physically, but if I am laughing about something you said, that is just as sexy…Keep that laughter up.”

I love it! You can see Drew’s new movie, “Going The Distance” in theatres this Friday. Hope everyone is having a fantastic week. Talk tonight XoXo -OA

So, was browsing around Facebook today and a friend of mine posted this video and thought I would share it with you. He is covering Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” and Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are”. Keep in mind…all of the instrumental parts he is doing with his mouth. Ladies…a guy with a talented mouth. Take what you want from that! lol

Enjoy the music/eye candy Happy Monday! XoXo -OA

In no particular order…thanks to USNews.com.

So much money and energy is wasted on things we could get for free. If you’re into new, shiny things and collecting stuff, this is not for you. But if you want less clutter in your life and want to keep more of your money, then check out these 15 things you shouldn’t be paying for.

Basic Computer Software — Thinking of purchasing a new computer? Think twice before you fork over the funds for a bunch of extra software. There are some great alternatives to the name brand software programs. The most notable is OpenOffice, the open-source alternative to those other guys. It’s completely free and files can be exported in compatible formats.

Your Credit Report — You don’t have to pay for your credit report. You could sign up for one of the free credit monitoring services online to get a quick look at your credit report. You just have to remember to cancel the service before the end of the free trial. Or you could do one better and visit www.annualcreditreport.com, the only truly free place to see all three of your credit reports for free once a year.

Cell Phone — The service plan may be expensive, but the phone itself doesn’t have to cost a thing. Most major carriers will give you a free phone, even a free smart phone, with a two-year contract.

Books — There’s a cool place in your town that’s renting out books for free: the library. Remember that place? Stop by and put your favorite book on reserve. And if you don’t feel like getting out, visit www.paperbackswap.com and find your books there (small shipping fees apply).

Water — Besides the monthly utility bill, there’s no reason to shell out $1 for every bottle of water you drink. Bottled water is so last decade anyway. We’re over it, and into tap, filters, and reusable water bottles. It’s cheaper for you and better for the environment.

Credit Card — With as many credit cards as there are available on the market today, it’s easy to avoid a credit card with an annual fee. Unless you’re dead set on a particular perk that a fee card brings, skip the annual fee card and pocket that money yourself.

Debt Reduction Help — Speaking of credit cards, if you’re in over your head with credit card help, there are many free sources you can turn to for help with your debt. No one is going to be able to magically wipe away your debts, but there is help out there that will set you up on a debt reduction plan you can handle. Start with a visit to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Basic Tax Preparation — If your tax situation isn’t that complicated, then you should probably be preparing your own tax return using one of the many free online services. It’s now common for e-filing to be free as well with many services. You won’t even need a stamp.

The News — Leave it to a blogger to try and kill off traditional print. I’m not anti-newspaper. I just don’t find them practical anymore. Skip the daily .50 cents and get your news online. And for you dedicated coupon clippers, you can get most of your Sunday coupons online now too.

Budgeting Tools — There are many budgeting tools (both online and desktop) that offer up the service for free. Don’t ask me how they do this, but who cares. If you’re looking to reign in some of your spending, the good news is you can do it for free.

Pets — This is a controversial one, I know. But there are likely many pets down at your local animal shelter that could use just as much love as the pure-bred types. There may be a small fee due to the shelter for shots and basic care, but you’ll have your pet home without paying a mini-fortune.

Shipping — If you like to buy online, you probably use coupons to get a percentage off of your purchase. Take your skills to the next level and look for coupons or promotion codes that offer free shipping. If in doubt, visit a site like www.freeshipping.org.

Checking Account — Isn’t it nice when a bank takes your money, lends it out to earn money, and then has the audacity to charge you for the service? What a joke. Checking should be free. If yours isn’t free then move to one of the many banks that offers a checking account for free. And the same can be said for ATM fees, teller fees, and checks.

DVD Rentals — Did you know that you can rent DVDs from RedBox locations for $1 a night? And better yet, if you use one of the coupon codes from www.insideredbox.com you can avoid the $1 charge. Free DVD rentals! Most libraries now have free DVD rental as well.

Exercise — Skip the expensive gym memberships. Visit your local park for a walk or run. Do basic push-up and sit-up programs in your living room. Rent a workout DVD from the library. There are many free workout programs you can download online as well.

Lord…another crazy.

This is a disturbing tale, but it works out OK in the end… I promise.

Police recently arrested Gary Korkuc, 51. Cops stopped Korkuc for running a red light, they noticed a little meow meow coming out of the trunk of his car.

Turns out it was his 4-year-old cat, Navarro, basting in there!

That’s right, BASTING! When cops opened the trunk, they found Navarro covered in olive oil, crushed red pepper, and chili peppers.

When questioned, Korkuc originally said he was disciplining Navarro because he was “ill-tempered”, but then fessed up to planning to eat the little guy. He also said that Navarro, who is male and neutered, was pregnant. Idiot.

Navarro was eventually cleaned up, and has been adopted by a new family who have changed his name to Oliver. Gary, thankfully, has been placed on the ASPCA’s “Do Not Even THINK of Adopting To This Person” list.\

See, told you it would be a happy ending! Have a great weekend XoXo -OA

Found this was a really good read, especially being one of those people who HAS to have the Heinz ketchup…the Safeway brand just wont work for me haha…let me know what you think! XoXo -OA

From WalletPop.com-

Many major companies — sell generic, or what they prefer to call “private label,” products that are typically cheaper than the brand name products they aim to replace. If ketchup is ketchup to you and your family, then the cheaper generic brand is a good buy. But if Heinz is your favorite and you don’t mind paying for it, the generic versions aren’t going to do the job at your dinner table.

That’s the trouble with some generic products, taste can make or break a generic product. And while personal taste will always factor into whether you buy a generic product, here are 10 products that we think you should never buy generic. The branded products are much better.

1. Diapers.
You’ll go through hundreds and hundreds of diapers with a baby, and your first impulse is to save as much money as you can with a generic brand. But this is one area where you don’t want to skimp. A leaky or messy diaper will leave you and your baby in a foul mood, and a diaper rash is no fun for anyone. Generic and brand name diapers have about the same amount of absorbency, but the generics don’t fit as well. The best way to save on diapers is to go with all cloth, but that’s a messy place to which you may not want to go.

2. Condiments.
This category comes with the caveat that you might want to test the generic brands to see how they taste to you. But we doubt you’ll be satisfied with them. As Jason Gurwin, CEO of Pushpins, an online coupon site, told me, for his customers generic condiments don’t often add up to the name brands. A.1. Steak Sauce is better than any generic steak sauce will ever be, Gurwin said.

I have a bottle of Trader Joe’s organic ketchup in my refrigerator, and being the cheapskate I am, can’t wait until it’s gone or expired so I can open the bottle of Heinz waiting in the pantry. Some people love the private label stuff, but not me. One sign that a restaurant is about to go out of business — it switches from Heinz ketchup to any other kind as a way to save money.

3. Paper products.
Toilet paper and paper towels are two things you don’t want to fall apart while using them. Generic brands usually have fewer fibers, which means less absorbency. They’ll cost less than brand names, but you’ll end up using more of the cheaper towels or toilet paper. That’s what we found in our paper towel smackdown savings experiment.

4. MP3 players.
If you’re too cheap to buy a real MP3 player — such as an iPod, Zune or anything else that costs more than $10 — then don’t expect to get more than a few days’ use from the cheaper knock-off. The generic players are in the bargain bin for a reason — they suck and nobody wants to buy them. They have all of the joy and look of holding a paperclip in your hand, and less functionality. The headphones will be lousy and have to be replaced, the charge won’t last long, the interface will be as modern as Pong, the software will be older than your first computer, and the sound will be like an aluminum can.

5. Garbage bags.
Like diapers, toilet paper and paper towels, you don’t want to skimp on garbage bags because you don’t want to have to deal with the mess when they break open. Carrying the trash out is a big enough pain, but to have to pick it all up again because you saved a few bucks on generic garbage bags that are thinner and don’t hold as much as the name brand is a bigger and messier waste of time.

General rules when buying branded trash bags include buying stretchable bags made with patented materials, buying industrial strength bags instead of ones made just for the home, and solid black bags that are usually stronger.

6. Paint.
One way generic products are made cheaper is by watering them down or making them thinner. Generic paint for your home is a bad idea. It’s often thinner and will take more coats to cover an area. It may also chip and fade sooner than brand-name paint. And as far as home improvements go, paint is inexpensive, and is worth the cost for a quality brand. It’s the labor that’s expensive.

7. Cheese.
Life is too short to eat weak cheese. And in this case, we’re talking about processed cheese, such as in every kid’s favorites — macaroni and cheese, and processed cheese slices. Nutritional value aside, the generic brands of these cheesy items taste like cardboard. Kraft makes the best macaroni and cheese and processed cheese slices, and there’s no reason to go anywhere else.

For a grilled cheese sandwich — again, forget the healthiness of it — Kraft can’t be beat. And its macaroni and cheese is the best comfort food around. You don’t want to eat it every day, but live a little and spend the extra dime on the branded box.

8. Apple knockoffs.
We’re not talking about legitimate companies that make licensed Apple products. We’re talking about Apple product knock-offs that should be pretty apparent from looking at them that they’re not the real deal.

And probably just as bad are Apple resellers that sell their own things, such as power adapters, that are supposed to work well with Apple products but don’t. Apple is suing three such companies that sells unlabeled power adapters. When you’re spending however much on an Apple computer, iPod or other Apple gadget, why risk having it damaged by a knockoff?

9. Beer.
The generic beer with “Beer” in black block letters on a white can isn’t for sale anymore, although you can find it on eBay. Beer often doesn’t translate well to generics. We say “often” because Consumer Reports recently found Costco’s Kirkland Signature beers to be tasty enough to have at a party, although anyone who has been to a college party with beer knows that taste isn’t a high priority. As with cheese and other eating or drinking items, with beer often the best choice is a brand.

We’re tempted to add generic soda to this category, but that would contradict an earlier post about how soda is so much better with the brand taste. Again, personal taste is a major factor in such areas, so we’ll leave it up to you to decide if generic soda is a no-no for you that doesn’t have the same taste as Coke or Pepsi.

10. Spaghetti sauce.
A marinara sauce for pasta is so easy to make, buying a generic brand is about equal to pouring ketchup on spaghetti. But we understand if you don’t have three hours at home for the sauce to simmer. Go ahead and spend a little more on the name brand pasta sauce. It tastes much better than any generic brand, and for a cheap meal like spaghetti, makes it worth eating. If you have the time to saute a few mushrooms and add them in, all the better.

Fellllllllas…this is what you’ve been waiting for!  Check out TheSmokingJacket.com

Finally, something for those guys who say they read Playboy for the articles: a chance to prove it.

Playboy Enterprises Inc. launched a website today that it swears will be safe to browse while at work, eliminating the need for men to throw themselves over their computer screen when the boss walks by.

 Playboy.com NSFW – not suitable for work. Instead, it’ll rely on humor to reach Playboy’s target audience, men 25 to 34 years old, when they are most likely to be in front of a computer screen.

“A lot of our audience logs on (to Playboy.com) after work and we saw that we were missing a golden opportunity to reach guys when they’re online the most: when they’re sitting at their desk, not working, sending e-mails to their friends,” said Jimmy Jellinek, Playboy’s editorial director.