Tried Energy Drinks?

A slew of energy drinks have been hitting the market lately - I guess good old coffee isn't giving people enough of a jolt anymore. Some of them taste great, some not so great, and some of it is just a matter of personal preference. You'll want to check the ingredients. Some of the energy drinks also have "thermogenic" properties that are supposed to help burn calories - but you want to be careful if you have high blood pressure.

A local company from Delray Beach has one of the newest energy / calorie-burning drinks out, Celsius. And if you want to see what people are saying about all the different brands before you try them, check out these Energy Drink Reviews.

Metrozoo's Baby Kangaroo

You can finally see the newest kangaroo at Miami Metrozoo, now that it's peeked out of mom's pouch. Zoo officials think the baby was born last December, but since baby kangas (or "Joeys" if you're in Australia) keep developing in the pouch for a number of months, they don't know the exact birthdate ... or even the gender of the baby.

In other Metrozoo news, you can now hand-feed the giraffes.

Expanded Toy Recall

Mattel has expanded its toy recall to include some 9 Million toys now. The recalled toys were imported from China. Some were made with paint that has high levels of lead; others have small magnets that could be dangerous if swallowed. Recalled toys include Batman Action Figures and Barbie Play Sets.

Here's the full information from Mattel.

Low Cost Immunizations

School starts next week and kids have to have their immunizations before they can go to class. Low-cost (even free, in some cases) immunizations are available. You can call The Children's Trust Helpline at 211 for information.

Dade County Immunization Sites
Broward County Health Fairs

How to Increase Pay $$

According to a survey by WorldatWork, most employers will be less than generous when it comes to handing out pay raises next year. The average salary increase is expected to be about 3.9% - just slightly above the inflation rate.

However - and this is a big however - you could end up with a nice bonus at the end of the year. Companies say they're budgeting about 12% of payroll to bonuses as a way to reward - and motivate - key employees.

So who's getting the biggest piece of the pie?

*Employees who set specific work goals with their managers
*Those who ask for feedback from superiors
*Workers who document their contributions

Essentially, you need to market yourself to your bosses - but the reward can make the effort worthwile.