Selfless sodas

Selfless sodas
Ready for your annual gross-out? Invite your friends over and dare them to try Jones Soda's Holiday Pack.
This year's pack includes Turkey & amp; Gravy, Wild Herb Stuffing, Brussels Sprout, Cranberry and Pumpkin Pie sodas. Proceeds from the national pack, available only at Target ($10.95), go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Also be on the lookout for a regional pack ($12.95), which contains a bottle of Turkey & amp; Gravy, and four different "sides" -- the oddest of which has to be Smoked Salmon soda. (Mmmm ... liquefied salmon flavor. The favorite!) The regional pack (find a store on JonesSoda.com) benefits Toys for Tots.
In the interest of good journalism, Chicago Tribune writers actually taste-tested every flavor in the national pack. They'll let you decide for yourself which tastes the worst ... er, best. Just remember: It's for a good cause!
Stocking stuffer
Habbo Hotel has a cool new way you can buy virtual money -- in the form of a prepaid gift card. Each $10 card, available at CVS drugstores, is worth 50 Habbo Coins.
Habbo Hotel (www.habbohotel.com), for the uninitiated, is a virtual hangout for teens 13 and up. Teens can create their own customized character, chat with friends and celebrities, play games, go to parties and even decorate their own room. While access to the Web site is free, virtual money can be used to buy stuff to help you in your Habbo world.
Now, buying add-ons to games is nothing new for this generation, but your parents may not understand the point of spending real money to buy virtual money. But, put simply, it's entertainment. And $10 will probably bring you more hours of entertainment than heading to a movie on a Saturday night. More bang for your buck.
Spend wisely, Habbos!
Gift giveaway
Who said loyalty doesn't have its benefits? Benefit Cosmetics is offering online shoppers who read this column a free Benetint Lip Balm.
With the holidays coming up and so many people to buy for -- don't you deserve a little gift for yourself?
But first, some gift-giving inspiration: Holidays scream "sparkle," so pick up a set of Swinging Sweeties ($28), a gift set of three sparkle powders in silver, gold and bronze. (Cool part about these gems is you can use them wet or dry.) Or help bring out the bad gal in your goody-two-shoes best friend with the Bad Gal Gear set ($28), which offers Bad Gal liner and mascara, plus a set of false eyelashes in case she really wants to glam it up.
Now get shopping! Log on to www.benefitcosmetics.com by Tuesday and buy anything to receive a free Benetint Lip Balm (worth 18 bucks!). Use promotional code KRTBALM at checkout.
Quirky queries
It's definitely time to stock up on a new game for those chilly winter days when you can't fathom going outside. One choice this fall is "Would You Rather...?" by Zobmondo Entertainment.
Basically players are posed two equally uncomfortable questions, like "Would you rather ... be on top of a Ferris wheel during an earthquake -- or -- during an electrical storm?" or "... not know how to count past 100 -- or -- not know the entire alphabet?" Players discuss and debate their answers and then guess which choice the group is likely to pick. To win, you must correctly predict the group consensus to each of the questions, so your playing piece can move successfully around the board, and complete three of the even more absurd "would you rather" challenges.
Pick up "Would You Rather...?" Classic Version at Target for $24.95.