We're all familiar with the "Recession Special" at Grey's Papaya (two hot dogs and a drink for $3.50), but I've learned that only one thing will put out the fire that is burning our cash and that is large volumes of alcohol. It seems Cole Durbin, owner of Padre's Modern Mexican in Phoenix, has had a similar realization.
Padre's now offers a free drink to help ease the pain for those who arrive with a foreclosure notice. Sad customers can order a margarita dubbed the "The Holy Grail," made with Patron Platinum, Gran Mariner, and Remy Martin. This feisty drink normally sells for $30, so maybe there is actually a perk to losing your house. Durbin says, "I have no problem giving them anything they want." In addition, now that gasoline is more expensive than alcohol, Durbin plans to offer free rides to his restaurant. Talk about recession concessions.

Malibu's queen diva, Cher, is moving on from the $45 million mansion she built on Pacific Coast Highway. However, her neighbors may not even notice. Her faux Italian Renaissance estate is so grand and accommodating that the singer never has to leave-
when she visits no one gets a glimpse of her striking black, blonde or otherwise-colored hair. Locals say she comes to town only often enough to redecorate her now empty home (since auctioning off all of her belongings two years ago on a whim).

Palm trees line the property, and the house overlooks the ocean and sits on 1.7 acres of bluff above the Pacific. The 14,000 square foot main house has 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, a theatre, and gym, and almost every window and door leads to a veranda. Other necessities include a tennis court, pool, spa, and of course, a guest house.

Hollywood's favorite down-to-earth duo have taste in real estate that is a little more extravagant than his staple t-shirt and jeans and her signature casual apparel might suggest. , Jen and Ben are moving across town with daughter Violet-Hollywood's most dimpled tot- to a new 9,900 square foot mansion located on nearly an acre of land. All this in preparation for the arrival of their second child.

The traditional home boasts seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, six fireplaces (including an outdoor hearth), and a wine cellar. With so many bedrooms, it looks like Jen and Ben may be planning ahead. The master suite even offers his and her bathrooms-- hers in amber and his in a dark marble. In addition, the property holds plenty of outdoor party space including a deck, sprawling lawn, pool, and pool house.

As the Bennifer family are only moving across town, Jen and Violet can continue their weekly outings to the Brentwood Country Mart, and Ben can settle in to the new abode, which has plenty of room to host good buddy Matt and Matt's growing brood, too...

In An ABSOLUT World, LIGHTS, CAMERA, VODKA!' The star-studded bash, hosted by Adrian Grenier was a huge success. With a special appearance by Kevin Connolly and tunes by LA's DJ Myles Hendrick, drew wide celebrity attendance and excitement from the most popular entertainment media. Additional celebrities in attendance were Lauren Conrad, Jaime Pressly, Eliza Dushku, and even Terrell Owens found time from camp to attend, amongst many others. All attendees were able to sample the limited-edition member of the family, ABSOLUT Los Angeles. Some of the new drinks included "ABSOLUT LA LA Land", "The Sunset Strip", and "Trainer Approved". All drinks were sure to have a healthy dose of ABSOLUT Los Angeles. With events like this its safe to say ABSOLUT Vodka's voice has been heard in LA.

Americans continue to suffer through endless reality TV shows starring people who are famous for simply being wealthy. From The Hills or The Gastineau Girls to The Simple Life, we all agree that socialites are talking bobble heads, yet we continue to stay locked in to their antics, boosting network ratings. One would assume, therefore, that a show starring the queen of Manhattan socialites, Tinsley Mortimer, would be no exception. MTV gave the popular blonde her own reality TV show, shot the footage, only to cancel the series because it was deemed "too boring." A source told Page Six that "a Tinsley reality show was shot by MTV. But they couldn't use any of it. It's collecting dust. She looked good but she just got dressed and went to parties every day and didn't have anything interesting to say. It was incredibly boring. The project is dead." I guess Ms. Mortimer should start working on her personality as hard as she works on her image... More >> ..

Salad may be consumed by the ton in cities like Los Angeles, but it is often considered to be a “boring” or “healthy option. However, when you find the perfect delicate balance between crunchy leaves and juicy fruit, a salad becomes a treat for the taste buds. Adding lobster elevates the dish to an entirely new level of excellence.

La Cachette’s lavish Warm Maine Lobster Salad is an explosion of subtle flavors, beautifully presented against a ceramic white canvas. The plated salad is itself a work of art, with the lobster creatively draped on a mound of green slightly garnished with a light trail of dressing.

The warmth of the smooth lobster combined with the crisp crunch of the finely chopped vegetables makes La Cachette’s salad is a hit for all palates, from the bored salad eater to the diner who always goes green. Finished off with a generous amount of white truffle oil dressing, the dish zings in a way that complements the salad’s ingredients without overpowering them... More >> ..

Nicole Kidman returns from country living with country music singer husband Keith Urban and their daughter, Sunday Rose. They secured their contemporary style Beverly Hills abode for $4,795,000 from music producer Ron Fair. The home is secluded from the riff-raff that is Hollywood in a gated community and has 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and 4,100 square feet for the trio to rehearse lines, play a tune, or drool all over the new carpet. And there are breathtaking views of the canyons and a grassy play area for Sunday Rose and Keith to dance in. She'll soon be staring in the movie version of the Broadway hit, "Nine" with Daniel Day-Lewis and Penelope Cruz. Yes, life couldn't be sweeter for Nicole; unless Keith took some couch jumping lessons from her ex-Top Gun. No doubt Nicole and Penelope will have fun sharing stories about the couch jumper.

Gilbert Arenas is floating-literally after signing his new $100 million plus contract with the Washington Wizards. Arenas is currently overseeing construction of a $1 million pool, slated to be one of the largest residential swimming pools in the US. The structure, surrounded by $500K of precious stone, hosts three separate fish tanks, each valued at $500K. One tank sits in a Playboy-inspired grotto while another rests just above the basement, where Gil has a plush couch waiting to cushion him as he admires his new pets. The third tank sits near the entrance-how quaint.

The pool is surrounded by plenty of deck space, complete with a flat screen television and wet bar. Construction is scheduled to be complete in August, so Arenas will have his pool paradise ready just in time for Labor Day. Win or lose this season, Arenas is sure to make a splash.

The launch of ABSOLUT^® Los Angeles (ALA), which took place recently in LA over a series of Hollywood-inspired events, had consumers, key media and celebrities talking about the uniqueness of the new flavor that honors the city.

ABSOLUT^® LOS ANGELES, a limited-edition, city-inspired flavor is now here! Celebrating the city's trend-forward ideals, the bold, new flavor is made with an all-natural symphony of blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry, and fruity notes of pomegranate. This daring combination instills the smooth unique flavor that only ABSOLUT can produce.
As part of ABSOLUT Vodka's commitment to supporting the spirit of the city of Los Angeles, ABSOLUT is donating $250,000 from the profits of ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES to Green Way LA™, an organization dedicated to restoring nature and natural functions in the city, and encouraging urban residents to "live lightly" to improve the environment, health and welfare of their communities...

Sam Lessin is not a household name-he hasn't graced any Newsweek covers like Mark Zuckerberg, or received the glowing tributes such as those showered upon Tom Andersen. We at Pocket Change like to stay ahead of the trend, however, and we think Lessin's technological baby, Drop.io, might just be the next big thing.

Founded in November of 2007, Drop.io is a simple, private file sharing and storage system that anyone can use. This advancement has dramatically simplified the once tedious process of transporting and housing large amounts of information. Forget messengers, fax machines, thumb drives, and personal assistants. Drop.io is a one stop online service available to a wide range of users- from mothers sharing baby photos to large companies that use "drops" as collaborative workspaces.

Drop.io has a simple, discreet exchange platform that enables consumers to easily create private online spaces for sharing photos, videos, music, documents, voicemails, and more... More >> ..

Ashley Paige's chic, hand-knit bikinis are a must for anyone hoping to strut their stuff this summer. Created for each customer's personal style and body type, Ashley's suits hug the hips in all the right places and reveal just enough to keep suitors wanting more.

Sold on the idea? Call Ashley's boutique to set up a consultation with the bathing suit queen herself. After your private fitting, a discussion of colors and cuts ensues, and once a decision is reached between the many options, Ashley will design and craft the ideal summer suit. Hollywood elite such as Lindsay Lohan, the Hiltons, Fergie, Live Tyler and Kate Hudson have undergone these very steps so that Ashley can create their one of a kind bikinis.

So what does it cost to have your very own Ashley Paige swimsuit? They start at $200 and make their way up to $700, depending on the style and fabric. In addition to her own line of custom looks, this maven of swimsuits stars in her very own reality show,"Bikini or Bust", which allows viewers a deeper view into Paige's bikini-clad world...

There's nothing more unglamorous than earwax. You may think that your ears are relatively clean, but the average Q-tip doesn't always do the trick. Did you know that wax and debris lodged within your ear canal could be causing earache pain and sinus pressure? That's why the Great Jones Spa, at 29 Great Jones Street at Lafayette, offers ear candling, also referred to as ear coning.

The Great Jones Spa is a peaceful oasis in downtown Manhattan. Its aim is to provide clients with the very best holistic tools to inspire health and happiness through wholeness and balance. One way in which they aspire to do this is with ear candling.

Ear candling is an ancient alternative therapy once used by Egyptian, Asian, and Native American cultures to cleanse the ear passage. A long hollow tube is placed into the ear and lit. The smoke and warmth created by the fire travels down the tube, gently unclogging debris and softening old ear wax... More >> ..

Where else but the Hamptons would you be able to find pricey designer clothing at a garage sale? Last weekend the city's elite raised $3.6 million at Donna Karan's annual garage sale in support of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Hosted by spunky walking-skeleton Kelly Ripa, and attended by notables such as Betsey Johnson, Lydia Hearst, Euan Rellie, Lorraine Bracco, Jessica Stam, Katie Lee Joel, Debbie Matenopoulos, Hana Soukupova, Charlotte Ronson, and Nanette Lepore , and where Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, and that raisin-faced stylist slash Anna Wintour's nemesis, Rachel Zoe even volunteered to man the booths. As they say, one woman's last season's Jimmy Choos are another woman's 'vintage' treasure.

Alex Rodriguez, 32, and estranged wife, Cynthia Rodriguez, 35, recentlyfiled for divorce, claiming a series of extramarital affairs on his part. Cynthia makes no mention of Madonna but reports have linked the two together for a few weeks now. Cynthia is seeking alimony and shared custody of the couple's two children, Natasha, 3, and Ella, 2 months old. She filed a complaint in Miami-Dade Circuit Court in Florida, where the couple owns a $12 million, 8,310-square-foot waterfront mansion and had recently bought a $13.5 million penthouse on the Upper East Side. They also own a 22-seat Gulf Stream jet worth more than $30 million. This is all pocket change, however, for Rodriguez; being baseball's highest paid player, having signed a 10-year $275 million deal with the Yankees in the off-season.

If the rumored affair between Rodriguez and Madonna are true, this may be good news for the Yankees. Considering the fact that the last three high-profile athletes have all gone on to win their sport's title that year; they include Jose Canesco in 1989 (Oakland A's won World Series), Mark Messier in 1994 (New York Ranger won Stanley Cup), and Dennis Rodman in 1996 (Chicago Bulls won NBA Championship)... More >> ..

Actor Kelsey Grammer listed his 10,567-square-foot mansion in Los Angeles' for $19.9 million. The country, English-style seven-bedroom, nine bath, mansion is back on the market after being purchased in May 2007 for $13,700,00. The mansion, which is at 261 Baroda Drive in Holmby Hills, was bought from Michael Armand Hammer, the baking-soda heir.
Originally built in 1980 for music composer Henry Mancini, the gated mansion includes a lavish living room, a media room, a kitchen that opens to a family room, and a gym. Outdoor features include a pool, a motor court, and a walled, grassy yard, according to listing information.
This act of renovating high-end real estate and placing it back on the market is not new for the "Frasier" actor. This has been a profitable endeavor for him, and one that he doesn't seem on discontinuing anytime soon.