$14 Solar-Powered Battery Charger

Factor in expensive battery prices, and this $14 charger is not too shabby. It only takes a couple of hours, you just put a AA battery in the back slot, put it out in the sun and there you have it.  It's recommended to have direct sunlight, but don't worry Vermonters - this one's weatherproof.


Want one? Click here.
Or check out the full article here.
Image via kinghubby

2012 Subaru Game Day Walk

Take the pledge (click here) by walking your best, four-legged friend for the Subaru Game Day Walk on Feb. 5. This is the second annual Subaru Game Day Walk and is in continuance with Subaru's famous Dog Tested Dog Approved slogan alongside their continuous efforts to engage our furry friends in their marketing program. Last year's dog walk had more than 88,000 pledges.

(This is Rusko, my own furry best friend loving a Subaru)

"'Dogs have always been a large part of Subaru culture; we also know that dogs play a significant role in the lives of our owners," said Alan Bethke, director, marketing communications, Subaru of America. "The Subaru Game Day Dog Walk and new social apps are a natural extension of our brand's active culture and further allow dogs to be our owners' social lifestyle partners.'"

Yet another initiative Subaru has taken was with the MapMyDOGWALK in conjunction with MapMyFITNESS. An app where the user can plan routes (the app features millions of routes around the world), network with other dog lovers/owners, track their fitness and see local dog-approved events.

(MapMyDOGWALK)

Dogbook on Facebook is now partnered with Subaru, which now features a Dog Years Calculator and Life Story, among other awesome features focused towards on four-legged pals.

"The [Dog Tested Dog Approved] campaign is designed to resonate with Subaru owners and like-minded consumers. Subaru drivers are two times more likely than the average car owner to have a pet. In fact, seven out of ten Subaru drivers have a pet, and Subaru owners are also more likely to engage in skiing, camping, boating and other sporting activities," according to the press release.



They seem to have left out that they're also more likely to be from Vermont. So head online and pledge on Facebook! And celebrate this year's Superbowl with your dog, cat, bird, chicken or any other animal that you love (it is what makes a Subaru, a Subaru after all).


To see the full press release, click here.

Supercharge your Creativity

Just by changing what you do in the morning, very slightly. Often times we hit snooze on our alarms over and over again until we're down to the wire and have to rush around to get to work in time. Then we just have that exhausted drive to work until we can get our hands on a cup of coffee...

Here's a blog post that Lifehacker posted this morning about how changing your morning routine, just by waking up a few minutes earlier can completely change how your day goes. You have a few more minutes to lay in bed and think, space out while thinking in the shower instead of going over your more pressing tasks for the day, and be more relaxed on the commute.

Annie Murphy Paul from Time magazine suggests putting on a funny video as the first thing you watch when you get to the office.

So give it a try! And see if your creativity boosts during your first few days of waking up just a little bit earlier.



via Lifehacker.com

Enter VT State Parks' Cabin Naming Contest & Enter to Win a Free Stay

Woodford State Park is building four new campground cabins that will be ready to use by this spring, but two of them are nameless, and they're idealess - so they're asking you! All you have to do is send in a name and your reason for choosing it; the one condition is that it has to be the name of a Vermont wildflower. The other two are already named Gentian and Trillium so those are taken, but the rest is up to your creative discretion.

If you win, they'll offer you a free two-night stay in the cabin you've named, and you'll have your photo taken to be posted in a frame in the cabin all season. Not to mention that your picture and chosen name will go down in State Park history!

Directions for submissions: 
Send your entry to: parks@state.vt.us  with “Cabin naming contest” in the subject.  In the email include your name, address, and your names and explanations by March 1, 2012. You can also mail entries to us at 103 South Main Street, 10 South, Waterbury, VT  05671.

Photo courtesy of Vermont State Parks' blog, information regarding the contest courtesy of vtdigger.org.

Ground Hog Day Explained

Tomorrow is Ground Hog Day, and if you're like me and have no idea how Ground Hog Day really works - check out this video. This is by the same guy who debunked the 10 common misconceptions. He's actually making me much wiser.

Subaru Saves Another Life

I just found this post from Brown Manassas Subaru; the author of their blog's good friend got into an accident and says it's because of his Subaru that he and his two dogs got away with only minor injuries. Subaru is still the only vehicle with a five star safety rating on each of its models.

To see the rest of the pictures and check out the original blog post, click here.

Want to feel safer in your vehicle? Click here to view our new and used online inventory.

Improve your focus and creativity

Lifehacker just posted an article on how to improve your focus and creativity just by thinking positively. This is because negative emotions cause our brain to be disorganized, making it harder to solve problems and avoid distractions. Positive emotions improve the brain's executive function.

The article says you can help balance your emotions by meditating, getting more sleep and exercising. But you can also simply pay more attention to what seems to bother you throughout the day and try to focus on getting past it.

Check out the full article from Harvard Business Review, or click here for the one from Lifehacker.