Today's favs

That title needs work. I'll think it through a little better next time.

Smart Ways to play:

Have you seen this Australian advertisement, Dumb Ways to Die? It won big at the Cannes festival last summer and the three-minute video has 68 million+ views. The song is catchy and the characters die, frankly, adorably.

Well, today I received an iPad 2 and, making the jump from the original iPad, an entire world of apps opened up to me. Enter: the game Dumb Ways to Die. An extension of the advertisement, the free game pushes no agenda - the original ad was a safety warning about using the subway system - and is thoroughly, mindlessly, entertaining.

Nike Free:

I am terrible at replacing things when they need to go. Whether it be contacts that overstay their welcome or changing my Britta filter, I wait until the last possible moment to upgrade. Did you know that you're supposed to get new sneakers every six months or so? Unless you're running insanely long distances, I think that's a little unreasonable. The sneakers I've had for two years have been working just fine - no holes, they protect my feet like they're supposed to - up until recently when I've been experiencing some killer knee pain.

So, I decided to hunt (aka, go to my nearest Nordstroms) and seek out the best sneakers for my needs. Treadmill runner, not a marathon, flat feet in dire need of support, and wide feet that can't be squished into a narrow shoe. The saleswoman directed me to the Nike Free 5.0 running shoe. Fun fact: the 5.0 means there's 5mm of cushioned support under my heel.

I tried on a pair, and was already in love with the bold color, and my feet felt like they were walking on well-structured clouds. Sold.

I'm not suddenly Usain Bolt, my mile times were the same today as they were yesterday, but I could notice a difference in the way my feet reacted to the treadmill - like they are more in control of their movement. It sounds weird. I love it.